CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Fraud Cases

Tony Baldry: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions there have been with Crown court judges who specialise in hearing fraud cases on the Government's proposals to remove juries for complex fraud cases.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 24 January 2007
	I have been asked to reply.
	A Crown court judge with extensive experience in serious fraud trials participated in a seminar on this subject that was chaired by the Attorney-General in January 2005, as did several members of the senior judiciary; and members of the Council of HM Circuit Judges discussed the issue with the Office for Criminal Justice Reform at a special meeting in April 2005.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Construction

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the adequacy of skills in the construction industry; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
	The assessment of the skills needs of a sector is one of the key roles of sector skills councils (SSC). ConstructionSkills, the SSC for the construction sector, launched the construction skills network in 2005 to draw upon the knowledge and experience of construction companies, construction clients, education and training providers, Government and Regional Agencies across the UK.
	The construction skills network has achieved a consensus as to the future skills and training needs of the industry. ConstructionSkills is working with Government and a range of partners to ensure those needs can be met.
	The latest Construction Skills Network report, covering the period up to 2010, is available on the ConstructionSkills website. The report provides a regional view of skills needs across all construction occupations. It will be updated later this year.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Fixed Assets

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2007,  Official Report, column 2057W, on departmental fixed assets, who the lessees are of the three buildings in Windsor to whom the buildings were sold.

David Lammy: The lessees to whom the buildings were sold are:
	30 Park Street—Mr. J. R. Edwards and Mrs. G. C. E. Edwards;
	31 Park Street—Mr. H. F. Ledwidge and Mrs. J. Ledwidge;
	32 Park Street—Ms J. M. Reyburn.

Departments: Furniture

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many items of furniture have been  (a) lost and  (b) stolen from her Department in each year since 1997; and what the value was of those items in each year.

David Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has had no items of furniture reported either lost or stolen during the period year 2001 to date. Any records hitherto held for years 1997 to 2000 are now no longer available.

English Heritage: Public Appointments

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the selection of a new Chairman for English Heritage.

Tessa Jowell: We are about to launch a further competition to appoint a new chair of English Heritage. It will be an open competition, and the process will comply with the Nolan principles and the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointment's Code of Practice. After advertising in the national press, a selection panel will shortlist and interview candidates and make recommendations to Ministers. I expect the process to be completed by the summer.

Gaming Clubs: Greater Manchester

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what she was first informed of the Casino Advisory Panel decision on the location of the Supercasino in Manchester.

Tessa Jowell: At 0900 on 30 January 2007.

Gaming Clubs: Greater Manchester

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the chief executive of Manchester city council has met Casino Advisory Panel member James Froomberg in the last eight weeks.

Tessa Jowell: On 15 January 2007 James Froomberg attended a dinner hosted by British Waterways in his capacity as commercial director of that company. Sir Howard Bernstein, chief executive officer of Manchester city council was one of a number of guests. Mr. Froomberg notified the Casino Advisory Panel in advance of this engagement. The panel concluded that, as it had already made its decisions regarding the recommended casino locations at meetings on 8 and 15 November, and because its report was already in the process of being printed, Mr. Froomberg would not be placed in a position where he could be inappropriately influenced. Mr. Froomberg did not disclose the panel's decisions at the engagement.

Local Authorities: Standards

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the benchmark indicators are on which local authorities are assessed as to whether they are compliant with Public Library Service Standards.

David Lammy: The 10 Public Library Service Standards (PLSSs) that the 149 library authorities in England are assessed against are:
	
		
			  PLSS1—Proportion of households living within specified distance of a static library 
			   Percentage household within: 
			  Authority type  1 mile  2 miles  Sparse authorities— 2 miles 
			 Inner London 100 — — 
			 Outer London 99 — — 
			 Metropolitan 95 100 — 
			 Unitary 88 100 72 
			 County — 85 72 
		
	
	PLSS 2—Aggregate scheduled opening hours per 1,000 population for all libraries—128 hours
	PLSS 3—Percentage of static libraries (as defined by CIPFA) providing access to electronic information resources connected to the internet—100 per cent.
	PLSS 4—Total number of electronic workstations with access to the internet and the libraries catalogue (available for public use through both static and mobile libraries, and other service outlets (as defined in PLSS1)) available to users per 10,000 population—6
	PLSS 5—Requests
	i. Percentage of requests for books met within 7 days
	ii. Percentage of requests for books met within 15 days
	iii. Percentage of requests for books met within 30 days
	Targets:
	50 per cent. within 7 days; 70 per cent. within 15 days; 85 per cent. within 30 days
	PLSS 6—Number of library visits per 1,000 population
	Targets:
	7,650 in inner London boroughs (or 6,800 enhanced population) 8,600 in outer London boroughs
	6,000 in metropolitan districts
	6,300 in unitary authorities
	6,600 in county councils
	PLSS 7—percentage of library users 16 and over who view their library service as:
	i. very good
	ii. good
	iii. adequate
	iv. poor
	v. very poor
	94 per cent. of respondents rate the library service as 'very good' or 'good'.
	PLSS 8—percentage of library users under 16 who view their library service as:
	i. good
	ii. adequate
	iii. bad
	90 per cent. of respondents rate the library service as 'good'.
	PLSS 9—Annual items added through purchase per 1,000 population—216 additions per 1,000 population.
	PLSS 10—Time taken to replenish the lending stock on open access or available on loan—6.7 years.
	The PLSSs form part of the library indicator suite within the Comprehensive Performance Assessment's (CPA's) Culture Block. For the purposes of CPA, thresholds have been set for each of the standards based on the overall performance of the 149 authorities against them.

London Olympics

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to ensure that the preparations for the 2012 Olympics are efficient and well-managed.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Board, which I co-chair, provides strong and effective governance and oversight of preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. It meets regularly to review progress across the programme.
	After London won the right to host the games in July 2005, I initiated a thorough and ongoing review of costs on which I reported to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on 21 November 2006. This work is continuing.
	Furthermore, to ensure that costs are kept under rigorous scrutiny and review and that the timescales of the programme are met, the Olympic Delivery Authority, which is responsible for delivering the infrastructure and venues for the Games, has appointed a delivery partner—CLM—to manage the procurement and delivery of the facilities.

London Olympics

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2007,  Official Report, column 103W, on Olympics 2012, if she will provide the indicative figures for the amounts set aside to cover  (a) construction inflation and  (b) additional security costs.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 2 February 2007
	I have nothing to add to my answer of 29 January 2007. To release further cost information on each of the individual elements of the £900 million increase that I announced to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee could prejudice the commercial negotiations that the Olympic Delivery Authority are currently undertaking with private developers.

London Olympics

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will place in the Library a copy of the PMP report into the legacy of 2012 Olympic and Paralympic venues.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Delivery Authority have employed PMP to identify options for the legacy use of the Olympic stadium. This work is ongoing.

London Olympics

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will introduce a statutory limit on the maximum liability of London council tax payers for the cost of the 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: The use of London council tax to support expenditure on the Olympic Games is a matter for the Mayor of London.

London Olympics

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what her estimate is of the proportion of any cost overruns that will be borne by the London council taxpayer in the event of the costs of the Olympics exceeding the revenues;
	(2)  what her estimate is of the change in the Olympics precept on London council tax bills as a result of the recently announced cost increases.

Tessa Jowell: The 2003 Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the Mayor of London provides for cost overruns to be met in a sharing arrangement to be agreed as appropriate between them. The memorandum makes no presumptions about the use of council tax, which is a matter for the Mayor and he has made his position on this clear.
	We are currently exploring a range of options and will report to Parliament when a resolution has been reached.

London Olympics

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of the Cultural Olympiad budget will be spent on the opening and closing ceremonies.

Tessa Jowell: The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games is working with key stakeholders including my Department to stage a number of inspiring ceremonies. These include the handover ceremony at the Beijing Games, the opening and closing ceremonies, the welcoming of the athletes to the Olympic Village, the medal ceremonies, the Torch Relay, and the Olympic Youth Camps.
	In addition, the Cultural Olympiad will be delivered and funded in partnership with a range of public and private partners.
	The London 2012 Organising Committee is currently finalising the budgets for each of these important elements of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. It is working within the overall framework set out in the candidate file and is confident that it sits within its £2 billion revenue budget.

National Lottery

Mike Hancock: to ask the secretary of state for culture, media and sport how much the Big Lottery Fund is expected to contribute to  (a) the 2012 Olympics and  (b) voluntary and community groups in each year to 2012; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: I have already announced that £410 million will come from non-Olympic lottery distributors, of which the Big Lottery Fund is one, from 2009. No decision has yet been made about how that amount will be allocated between individual distributors.
	The Government are currently considering how the additional Olympic costs of £900 million should be met This discussion will take account of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the Mayor, which provides for a sharing arrangement to be agreed as appropriate and through seeking additional national lottery funding in amounts to be agreed at the time.
	No conclusions have yet been reached on the further use of lottery funding.

National Lottery

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the potential effects of using the National Lottery to support the Olympics on other charities supported by the National Lottery; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: It was always understood when we bid that National Lottery funding for London 2012 would involve some loss of income to the non-Olympic good causes, including charities. Non-Olympic distributors may lose an average of 5 per cent. of their income because of sales diversion to Olympic Lottery games over the period 2005-06 to 2012-13. In addition, we have already announced that £410 million will be taken from non-Olympic Lottery proceeds between 2009 and 2012. No decision has been made about how that amount will be shared between the various non-Olympic good causes.
	The Government are currently considering how the additional Olympic costs of £900 million should be met. This discussion will take account of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the Mayor, which provides for a sharing arrangement to be agreed as appropriate and through seeking additional National Lottery Funding in amounts to be agreed at the time. No conclusions have yet been reached on the further use of Lottery funding.

Parliamentary Questions

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will answer parliamentary questions  (a) 108185, on the recruitment of the chairman of the BBC Trust, tabled on 6 December 2006, and  (b) 108992, on the Olympic budget, tabled on 8 December 2006, by the hon. Member for Bath; and what the reasons are for the time taken to reply.

Tessa Jowell: I apologise for the delay in answering these parliamentary questions. I can confirm that I answered 108185 on 29 January 2007,  Official Report, column 105W and question 108992 was answered on 5 February 2007,  Official Report, column 712W.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departmental Expenditure

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was spent on the  (a) Delivery Unit,  (b) Strategy Unit and  (c) Office of Public Service Reform in each year since its creation; whether each unit forms part of 10 Downing street; and what the remit and function of each unit is.

Hilary Armstrong: For details of how much was spent on the  (a) Delivery Unit,  (b) Strategy Unit and  (c) Office of Public Service Reform in each year since its creation to 2004-05, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the then Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Jim Murphy) on 27 February 2006,  Official Report, column 43W.
	Costs for the Delivery Unit (DU), Strategy Unit (SU) and Office of Public Service Reform (OPSR) in 2005-06 can be found in the following table:
	
		
			  Net expenditure figure 
			   Amount (£000) 
			 DU 5,173 
			 SU 3,348 
			 OPSR 1,081 
		
	
	The figures shown are for total resource spend less any income.
	The Delivery Unit, the Strategy Unit and the Office of Public Service Reform do not form part of the Prime Minister's Office.
	For details of the remit and function of the Delivery Unit and Strategy Unit, I refer the hon. Member to the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Resource Accounts 2005-06 (Pages 12 and 13).
	For details of the remit and function of the Office of Public Service Reform, I refer the hon. Member to the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Resource Accounts 2003-04 (Page 8). The Office of Public Service Reform was disbanded in January 2006.
	Copies of these reports are available in the Library and are also available on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/reports/annualreport/index.asp

Departments: Special Advisers

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister without Portfolio if she will place in the Library copies of the letters of appointment of each of her special advisers.

Hazel Blears: My special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the "Model Contract for Special Advisers", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Individual letters of appointment are confidential between the employer and employee and therefore not for publication.

Departments: Termination of Employment

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Cabinet Office undertakes employee exit surveys.

Hilary Armstrong: The Cabinet Office asks all staff who leave the Department to complete an exit questionnaire. Completion is voluntary.

Legal Advice

David Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been spent by her Office on external legal advice in each of the last five years.

Hilary Armstrong: The Prime Minister's Office has not incurred any expenditure on external legal advice in the past five years.

Transformational Government

Margaret Moran: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which implementation plan targets on transformational government  (a) have not been met and  (b) have a revised timetable for achievement; and if she will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The progress against the Transformational Government Implementation Plan Action List is available online:
	http://www.cio.gov.uk/transformational_government/annual_report2006/index.asp
	A copy has been placed in the Library for the reference of Members.
	Progress has already been made in many areas identified in the action plan (Cm6970). For example, from January 2006 to September 2006, 3.7 million motorists renewed their car tax online Customers can now apply for both state pension and pension credit in one 20-minute telephone call; and the new electronic border-control systems have generated 4,456 alerts to border agencies and have resulted in 315 arrests.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Correspondence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many letters to his Department sent from hon. Members during Session 2005-06 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are  (a) one,  (b) two,  (c) three,  (d) four and  (e) over six months old;
	(2)  how many letters were received by his Department from hon. Members in each of the last 12 months; how many such letters were responded to within  (a) 10 and  (b) 20 days of receipt; how many were answered after 20 days from the date of receipt; and if he will make a statement.

John Prescott: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to correspondence from Members and peers. The report for 2005 was published on 30 March 2006,  Official Report, column 75WS. Information relating to 2006 will be published as soon as it is ready.

Departmental Budget

Oliver Heald: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what elements make up the additional budget for his Department above that previously allocated for the functions he carried out as head of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

John Prescott: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 17 May 2006,  Official Report, column 985W, and the answer I gave him on 9 October 2006,  Official Report, column 72W.

Departmental Contracts

John Grogan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which public affairs firms were given contracts by his Department in each of the last five years; and what the purpose was of each contract.

John Prescott: Public affairs firms advise clients on political lobbying. My Department would not award contracts for lobbying, and has not done so since it was formed on 5 May 2006. For information relating to the period prior to this time, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Angela E. Smith), on 8 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1155W.

Departmental Travel

Oliver Heald: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his Department's policy is on his staff travelling first class by  (a) rail and  (b) air on official business.

John Prescott: All travel by departmental staff is undertaken in accordance with the "Civil Service Management Code", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Website

Oliver Heald: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 14 December 2006,  Official Report, column 1304W, on his ministerial website, how many of the visits to his website were from non-government domains.

John Prescott: Of the 2,771 separate visits recorded in the period concerned, 2,582 were made from non-government domains.

Departments: Furniture

Mark Francois: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many items of furniture have been  (a) lost and  (b) stolen from his Department in each year since its formation; and what the value was of those items in each year.

John Prescott: None.

Freedom of Information

Oliver Heald: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many Freedom of Information requests his Department has received since its creation; and what the average length of time has been  (a) to process and  (b) to respond to a request.

John Prescott: The answer remains the same as the one I gave on 1 November 2006,  Official Report, column 434W.

Ministerial Policy Advisers: Public Appointments

Oliver Heald: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place in the Library copies of the letters of appointment of each of his special advisers.

John Prescott: My special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the "Model Contract for Special Advisers", a copy of which is in the Library. Individual letters of appointment are confidential between the employer and employee and therefore not for publication.

Temporary Staff

Grant Shapps: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much his Department paid to recruitment agencies for the hire of temporary staff since it was established; and if he will make a statement.

Oliver Heald: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many temporary staff have been employed by his Department since its creation.

John Prescott: I refer the hon. Members' to the answer I gave on 11 January 2007,  Official Report, column 686W.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Airports (VIP Operations)

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her Department's future funding plans are for the VIP/Royal Suites at Heathrow and Gatwick airports; what funding was allocated by her Department to VIP operations at these airports in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) funding from April 2008 is under discussion with HM Treasury; all future expenditure plans will depend on the outcome.
	FCO funding for the VIP/Royal Suites at Heathrow and Gatwick for financial year (FY) 2007-08 has been budgeted at a net £2.4 million.
	FCO funding in each of the past five years was FY 2001-02 £2.55 million; FY 2002-03 £2.49 million; FY 2003-04 £2.98 million; FY 2004-05 £2.57 million; FY 2005-06 £2.7 million.

Aung San Suu Kyi

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent attempts have been made by  (a) the British Ambassador to Burma and  (b) other UK Government officials to visit Aung San Suu Kyi.

Margaret Beckett: Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest. The conditions of her detention are very restrictive. Only her doctor is allowed occasional visits. On 24 November 2006, our ambassador in Rangoon formally requested authority from the Burmese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pay a courtesy call on her. The request was refused. No other Government officials have requested meetings with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the future of the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Margaret Beckett: The Peace Implementation Council, on which the UK sits, will review the future of the Office of the High Representative at its meeting on 26-27 February, taking into account the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the region as a whole.

Burma

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action against Burma the Government are advocating at the UN Security Council; what measures are under consideration at the UN Security Council; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: Our policy is to support all action in the UN, including in the Security Council, which helps to promote reform and positive change in Burma. We therefore co-sponsored the UN Security Council Resolution on Burma with the United States which was put to the vote on 12 January. Nine members of the Security Council voted for the Resolution. However the Resolution was not adopted, as two permanent members of the Security Council—China and Russia—voted against, as did South Africa.
	Disappointing though this result was, it is important to note that all Security Council members agreed that there were serious issues of concern in Burma. This, and the positive votes from a majority of Council partners, reflected the international community's deep concern over the plight of Burma's people. We will continue to work within the UN to ensure that Burma remains on the UN Security Council agenda.
	On 24 January my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs, Ian McCartney, met representatives from the Chin and Kachin ethnic groups in Burma to discuss the many difficulties faced by their respective communities, including violation of their religious freedoms.

Burma

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of UN envoy Gambari's visits to Burma.

Margaret Beckett: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs (Mr. McCartney) gave the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) on 4 December 2006,  Official Report, columns 69-70W.

Burma

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the position of the Non-Aligned Movement on a United Nations Security Council resolution on Burma.

Margaret Beckett: Members of the Non-Aligned Movement did not adopt a common position on Burma at the time the UN Security Council Resolution on Burma was put to the vote on 12 January. The Non-Aligned members of the UN Security Council voted as follows: Ghana, Panama and Peru voted in favour of the resolution; Indonesia, Congo and Qatar abstained; and South Africa voted against. China has observer status in the Non-Aligned Movement and voted against the resolution.

China: Human Rights

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations the Government has made to the Chinese Government to encourage the cessation of the re-education through labour programme; and what the outcome of these representations was.

Ian McCartney: I wrote to the Chinese ambassador in August 2006 to urge China to give fresh impetus to the reform of the Re-education through Labour (RTL) system. We raised RTL with the Chinese Government at the most recent round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 5 February 2007. The Chinese authorities said China is reducing the scope and number of sentences of the RTL system but progress is slow. We continue to urge China to progress the reform of RTL and all forms of administrative detention in order to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

China: Human Rights

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations the Government has made to the Chinese Government on human rights violations in China; and what the outcome of these representations was.

Ian McCartney: Engagement on human rights in China remains a Government priority. We raised a range of human rights issues with the Chinese Government at the most recent round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 5 February 2007. We held detailed discussions on the main themes of Civil Society and the role of defence lawyers, as well as wider issues of concern. We received information on China's recent human rights developments and we offered recommendations for reform. We also raised 45 individual cases of concern and received 35 responses.

China: Press Freedom

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken in discussions with the Chinese Government to ensure freedom for Chinese national and international press during the Beijing 2008 Olympics; what the outcomes of those steps were; and what future actions she plans to take.

Ian McCartney: We regularly raise freedom of the media with the Chinese Government. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell) urged the Chinese Government to lift restrictions on foreign correspondents up to and beyond the Beijing Olympics during her visit to China in September 2006. The Chinese Government implemented new regulations on 1 January 2007 which give foreign correspondents freedom to report and travel around China up to 17 October 2008. We urged the Chinese Government to ensure freedom to domestic and international press at the most recent round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 5 February 2007. We will continue to raise this issue with the Chinese Government.

China: Tibet

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will make representations to press for an independent investigation into the shooting of Tibetan refugees in September 2006 by Chinese border guards; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The EU urged the Chinese Government to investigate the incident at the Nangpa Pass, at the last round of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue, held in Beijing on 19 October 2006. The Chinese Government confirmed that the incident had taken place and promised to give further information. The EU followed up on 19 December 2006 and was told by the Chinese authorities that the incident was a border management issue and there was nothing new to report. We raised the incident at the most recent round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 5 February 2007 and urged the Chinese Government to fully investigate reports of ill-treatment of the people detained during the shooting.

Democratic Republic of Congo

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance she is offering to the new Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ian McCartney: The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains a priority for the UK. A Department for International Development (DFID)-funded UN Development Programme (UNDP) programme will be providing immediate training and technical support to the new Parliament, Ministers, senior civil servants and provincial assemblies, to help them take on their new roles and responsibilities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is financing training on the role of political opposition for senior parliamentarians.
	The UK is the biggest bilateral European donor in the DRC (£62 million available this financial year). DFID's programme focuses on providing immediate humanitarian assistance; supporting good governance, democratisation and accountability; reforming the army, police and justice sector; supporting the provision of basic services—health, education and infrastructure—to the population; tackling HIV/AIDS and promoting better management of the DRC's natural resources.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Politics and Government

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the composition of the new cabinet in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ian McCartney: President Joseph Kabila and Prime Minister Gizenga named their Government on 5 February. The new Government consists of six senior Ministers of State, 34 Ministers and 20 Vice-Ministers.
	All Government members belong to the Alliance pour la Majorite Presidentielle coalition of parties which supported President Kabila's election campaign. The new Government is a mixture of new faces and politicians with experience from the transitional Government.
	The new Government faces many challenges, notably reforming the security sector, dealing with corruption and improving regional relations. We are committed to working with the Government to build a stable and prosperous Democratic Republic of Congo and Great Lakes region.

Departmental Contracts

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which public affairs firms were given contracts by  (a) her Department and  (b) public bodies sponsored by her Department in each of the last five years; and what the purpose was of each contract.

Geoff Hoon: In respect of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office:
	Budgets for this kind of activity are devolved. The information is not held centrally and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.
	In respect of the public bodies:
	The BBC World Service has contracted two public affairs companies over the past five years, to provide relevant summaries of parliamentary business:
	Weber Shandwick until 2003; and
	Cambre Public Affairs since, to maintain an automated on-line service.
	The British Council contracted three public affairs companies over the last five years:
	Brunswick Arts International to manage the promotion of the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (August to September 2004);
	Brunswick Arts Consultancy Ltd to support the British Council's arts promotion (February to April 2002, June 2002 to May 2003, August 2003 to July 2004); and Fleishman-Hillard UK to produce an audit of MP perceptions of the British Council (January 2006).

EU Constitution

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government support proposals in the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe for an EU Foreign Minister; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, including provisions for an EU Foreign Minister, was agreed by all member states on 29 October 2004. However, following the "no" votes in France and the Netherlands, there is at present no consensus among member states on the future of the Constitutional Treaty. The way forward will be discussed at the European Council in June. The Government make no presumption as to the outcome of those discussions. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe made a written ministerial statement on 5 December 2006,  Official Report, column 10-11WS regarding the UK's approach to these discussions. This remains the Government's position.

EU Constitution

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government support proposals in the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe for an EU external action service; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, including provisions for an EU external action service, was agreed by all member states on 29 October 2004. However, following the "no" votes in France and the Netherlands, there is at present no consensus among member states on the future of the Constitutional Treaty. The way forward will be discussed at the European Council in June. The Government make no presumption as to the outcome of those discussions. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe made a written ministerial statement on 5 December 2006,  Official Report, column 10-11WS regarding the UK's approach to these discussions. This remains the Government's position.

EU Constitution

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government support proposals in the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe for a permanent President of the European Council; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, including provisions for a European Council President, was agreed by all member states on 29 October 2004. However, following the "no" votes in France and the Netherlands, there is at present no consensus among member states on the future of the Constitutional Treaty. On the basis of extensive consultations with member states, the German presidency will present a report on the state of discussion with regard to the Constitutional Treaty, and possible future developments, to the June European Council. The report will be examined by the European Council, but the Government make no presumption as to the outcome of those discussions. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe made a written ministerial statement on 5 December 2006,  Official Report, column 10-11WS regarding the UK's approach to these discussions. This remains the Government's position

Euro-Mediterranean Partnership

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with EU colleagues on  (a) the restrictions on agricultural products in the Euro-Mediterranean partnership agreements and  (b) a potential review of the restrictions; and if she will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: I have been asked to reply.
	On behalf of the UK Government, Baroness Royall of Blaisdon attended the 8th Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs at Tampere from 27 to 28 November 2006. At the Conference, Ministers endorsed the results of the Euro-Mediterranean Trade Ministers Conference held in Marrakech on 24 March 2006 and reiterated their commitment to achieving a Euro-Mediterranean free trade area by 2010.
	Against this background, and based on the Rabat roadmap, the agenda for negotiations in 2007 will include a focus on the progressive liberalisation of trade in agricultural, processed agricultural and fisheries products, with a possible selected number of exceptions and timetables for gradual and asymmetrical implementation, taking account of the differences and individual characteristics of the agricultural sectors in different countries. Non-tariff aspects of agricultural trade liberalisation will be covered in these negotiations, along with rural development, agricultural productivity and quality, and sustainable development.

Iraq

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which officials in her Department have been formally tasked with considering the report of the Iraq Study Group; what form this consideration will take; and when it is expected to be completed.

Margaret Beckett: The Iraq Study Group's report was commissioned by, and for, the US Government and Congress, and does not require a formal response from the Government.
	My right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary and I have outlined the Government's position on the Iraq Study Group's report to the House on 12 December 2006,  Official Report, columns 726-28, and at a joint session with the Foreign and Defence Committees on 11 January 2007, respectively.

Kosovo: Arms Control

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the prevalence of small arms in Kosovo; what support the Government is giving to arms eradication programmes in Kosovo; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The UK actively supports arms eradication programmes in Kosovo. In partnership with the Government of Sweden, we are managing an ongoing project through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Global Conflict Prevention Pool, worth £71,000, which aims to address the proliferation of light weapons and small arms throughout Kosovo.

Kosovo: Politics and Government

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of  (a) the political situation in Kosovo and  (b) the political consequences of UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari's recommendations for the future status of Kosovo.

Margaret Beckett: The UN Special Envoy presented draft proposals to Belgrade and Pristina on 2 February. We encourage both parties to engage constructively and responsibly with the Special Envoy over these proposals. We believe that completion of the status process is important in order to provide clarity to the people of Kosovo over their future which in turn will help stabilise the political situation in Kosovo.

Kosovo: Politics and Government

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her International Contact Group for Kosovo counterparts on the recommendations of UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari; what the outcome was of those discussions; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The UK has worked in close partnership with Contact Group partners (US, France, Germany, Italy, Russia) to assist efforts to achieve a lasting status settlement for Kosovo and the region.
	Contact Group Ministers last met in New York in September 2006, where we asked UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari to prepare a comprehensive proposal for a status settlement. Contact Group officials met on Friday 26 January in Vienna, where they discussed UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari's plans for taking the status process forward.
	We will continue working closely with Contact Group partners to achieve the durable solution for Kosovo which will enhance regional stability and the region's Euro-Atlantic prospects.

Kosovo: Politics and Government

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her  (a) European Union,  (b) United States and  (c) Russian counterparts on the European Union's future role in Kosovo; what the outcome was of those discussions; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: I have had several discussions on the EU's future role in Kosovo in bilateral and multilateral fora. Most recently, I discussed Kosovo with EU Foreign Ministers at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 22 January and at the EU-NATO transatlantic lunch on 26 January. We continue to work closely with the US and Russia in the Contact Group which last met at ministerial level in September 2006.
	A safe, secure and prosperous Kosovo in a stable region is vital to Europe. There is broad agreement among member states that the EU should be closely involved in the future of Kosovo and should play a leading role in the implementation of a Kosovo settlement. Planning has now started to ensure the EU is well placed to meet their responsibilities. But we should avoid prejudging the outcome of the status process.

Kosovo: Politics and Government

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications of the recent parliamentary elections in Serbia for the process to establish the final status of Kosovo.

Margaret Beckett: The UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari adjusted the timeline for the Kosovo status process to accommodate the elections in Serbia on 21 January. The official results of the elections show that pro-EU, pro-reform parties have a clear majority. We await the formation of a new government.
	Meanwhile, the Kosovo final status process continues. The UN Special Envoy put draft proposals to Belgrade and Pristina on 2 February. We fully support the UN Special Envoy's efforts to bring this process to completion as soon as possible so that Kosovo can finally have clarity over its future, enabling the Balkan region to move beyond the conflicts of the recent past towards a future with a Euro-Atlantic perspective.
	We are encouraging both Belgrade and Pristina to engage positively and constructively with the Special Envoy.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she expects to reply to the letter dated 23 December 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Yasir Zulfiqar.

Margaret Beckett: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 31 January.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she expects to reply to the letter dated 15 December 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Brother E. Egan.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	This has been passed to me to respond. I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 30 January 2007.

Middle East: Human Rights

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has received on allegations of human rights violations in Israel and Palestine.

Kim Howells: We are concerned at the human rights situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories and regularly receive representations about human rights from non-governmental organisations in the region and in London.
	We are particularly concerned by the failure to implement the 15 November 2005 agreement on movement and access; extra-judicial killings of Palestinians by the Israel defence force; the firing of artillery shells near populated areas of the Gaza Strip causing deaths of civilians; continued settlement construction in the West Bank; the impact of the barrier; closures; settler violence; and intimidation and harassment of Palestinian citizens. We also remain concerned about human rights abuses in areas where the Palestinian authority should take responsibility, in particular its failure to prevent terrorist attacks, militant groups from attacking Israeli civilians and the continuing violence between Palestinian groups. We regularly raise these concerns with the Israeli Government and Palestinian President Abbas.

Palestine

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what latest assessment she has received on the security situation in the Gaza Strip; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: We welcome the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza. Nevertheless, we remain concerned at the security situation in Gaza. Between 3 and 16 January the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that 10 Palestinians were killed in Gaza by the Israel Defence Force. One international photographer was also abducted by Palestinian militants but was released unharmed. 12 Qassam rockets were fired by Palestinian militants towards Israel. No injuries were reported.
	On 7 February OCHA reported that in 2007 86 Palestinians including 11 children had been killed in intra-Palestinian violence and 486 injured. On 29 January, Hamas and Fatah announced a ceasefire following a weekend of violence that left 29 dead and 100 wounded. 50 Palestinians were also kidnapped (some have since been released). On 1 February the ceasefire collapsed, leaving 13 dead and over 100 injured in overnight violence. Hamas and Fatah have since renewed the ceasefire which is still holding.
	We urge the Israeli military to do everything in its power to avoid civilian casualties. We have repeatedly raised our concerns with the Government of Israel. We have also raised our concerns about the firing of Qassam rockets at Israeli towns with President Abbas. We welcome his call for the firing of these rockets to stop.
	We welcome Saudi Arabia's efforts to broker a National Unity government (the Mecca talks). During my visit to the region 5-7 February, I made clear to all parties that we wanted to work with a National Unity government based on the Quartet (US, UN, EU and Russia) principles.

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cash equivalent transfer value is of the public sector pensions of 10 highest paid members of staff in her Department and its executive agencies; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The cash equivalent transfer value of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme pension entitlements of the 10 highest paid members of staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) amounted in total to £9,849,461 at 31 March 2006.
	We publish the pay and pension details of FCO members of the Department's Board of Management in the Remuneration Report that forms part of the FCO's Annual Resource Accounts. Our 2006 Remuneration Report included individual pay and pension details for two of the 10 highest paid members of staff included in this calculation. A copy of the 2006 Accounts have been placed in the Library of the House.

Sudan: China

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she has received reports of non-uniformed Chinese troops operating in the Sudan.

Ian McCartney: China has approximately 450 uniformed troops in the UN Mission in Sudan. We have not received reports of non-uniformed Chinese troops operating in Sudan.
	We continue to encourage China to use its growing power positively in Africa. We are engaging the Chinese on Darfur and on implementation of the North/South Peace Agreement.

Sudan: Peace Keeping Operations

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the African Union's efforts to reinforce peacekeeping in the Darfur region of Sudan; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The African Union (AU) Mission in Sudan (AMIS) carries out vital work to protect civilians and monitor the ceasefire in Darfur. But to cover such a vast area effectively AMIS needs reinforcement and this needs to come from the UN. A phased approach to increasing UN support to peacekeeping in Darfur was agreed in Addis Ababa on 16 November 2006 and is now being implemented. It will culminate in a hybrid AU and UN force, the details of which are currently being finalised. In the meantime, it is vital that AMIS can continue its work and the UK is committed to supporting this. We have pledged a further £15 million to this end, bringing our total contribution for this financial year to £35 million.
	We were deeply saddened to hear of the death of an AMIS civilian police officer in Qassab internally displaced people camp in Darfur last week. We offer condolences to his family.

Syria

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government  (a) have taken and  (b) plan to take to increase links with the Government of Syria; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The British embassy in Damascus maintains regular links with the Government of Syria. Our ambassador met President Assad of Syria and Foreign Minister Muallim on 7 January. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's foreign policy adviser, Sir Nigel Sheinwald, visited Syria in late October 2006. He reiterated the Government's hope that Syria would revise its policies to play the constructive role in the region that the international community expects. Sir Nigel made clear that the prospect of enhanced engagement with the UK was dependent on the degree to which Syria responded to our concerns, which are shared by many in the international community.
	Syria has in recent weeks taken steps to establish stronger links and co-operation with the Government of Iraq. That is a welcome development. We hope to see practical results. We want Syria to use its influence with Hamas and other groups to work for progress in the Middle East Peace Process. Syria should also support efforts to ensure stability in Lebanon, and respect all UN Security Council resolutions relating to Lebanon.

Timor-Leste

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has held with  (a) the UN Secretary-General and  (b) others on the final report of the Timor-Leste Reception, Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Ian McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with the UN Secretary-General or with others about the report of East Timor's Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have discussed the report's recommendations with the UN Secretariat and other delegations.

Timor-Leste

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will ask the UN Secretary-General to convene a meeting of the Security Council to consider the final report of Timor-Leste's Reception, Truth and Reconciliation Commission; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: It is for the UN Secretary-General to decide how to handle the report within the UN, including when to discuss it in the Security Council.

Uganda

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what representations she has made to the government of Uganda regarding those people held prisoner accused of being members of the People's Redemption Army; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what her current assessment is of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary in Uganda.

Ian McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Portsmouth South (Mr. Hancock) on 6 February 2006,  Official Report, column 828W.
	In addition, our high commissioner in Kampala, as part of the Partners for Democracy and Governance Group in Kampala, raised our concerns about the continued custody of the 19 People's Redemption Army detainees to Interior Minister Rugunda on 25 January.

Uganda: Human Rights

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she last had discussions with members of the government of Uganda on  (a) human rights,  (b) judicial independence and  (c) the rule of law in that country; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 834-35W, and to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) today (UIN 119053).
	We will continue to raise these issues with the Government of Uganda.

Uganda: Political Prisoners

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Ugandan authorities on their refusal to release the civilian People Redemption Army suspects granted bail in the High Court; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 6 February 2007,  Official Report, column 828W, and the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) today (UIN 119053).
	We will continue to raise our concerns about this issue with the Government of Uganda.

Uganda: Political Prisoners

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Ugandan government following the Ugandan Constitutional Court ruling on the immediate release of 19 members of the People's Redemption Army.

Ian McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 6 February 2007,  Official Report, column 828W, and the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) today (UIN 119053).
	We will continue to raise our concerns about this issue with the Government of Uganda.

HEALTH

"Choosing Health"

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2006,  Official Report, column 1025W, on choosing health, whether any health champions will be recruited; what partners in establishing networks of champions have been approached; when the first annual awards for champions will be made; and in what form.

Caroline Flint: The concept of a health champion described in the "Choosing Health" White Paper is being implemented through other programmes, such as health trainers and communities for health. These programmes are identifying, developing, and in the case of health trainers, recruiting individuals who are championing health in their communities. We are exploring ways to recognise and celebrate those championing health through existing national award schemes.

Abortions: Nottinghamshire

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many 15 to 18 year olds in Nottingham Primary Care Trust area  (a) had abortions and  (b) were diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections in each of the last five years.

Caroline Flint: The available information is set out in the following tables.
	
		
			  Number of abortions to women under 19, resident in Nottingham City Primary Care Trust, 2002-05 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Total aged under 19 years old 197 192 206 185 
			  Notes: 1. Information by PCT is not available prior to 2002. 2. For reasons of confidentiality, at PCT level, the total number for 15 to18-year-olds can not be released separately from the under 19 total. 
		
	
	
		
			  Diagnoses of selected sexually transmitted infections (STIs) from genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics in 15 to 19-year-olds in Nottingham Primary Care Trust, 2001-05 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Females 519 602 594 536 525 
			 Males 187 200 207 234 244 
			 Total 706 802 801 770 769 
			  Notes: 1. Selected STIs where age groups were available include primary and secondary syphilis, uncomplicated gonorrhoea, uncomplicated chlamydia, genital warts (first attack) and genital herpes (first attack). 2. Data on the age band 15 to 18 are not collected centrally.

Alcohol Awareness

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations she has undertaken with charitable organisations on alcohol awareness campaigns.

Caroline Flint: Charitable organisations have been involved with the development of the Government's "know your limits" campaign since its earliest stages. In July and August 2005 charitable organisations were invited to participate in workshops entitled "Delivering Communications to Support the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy" that fed into initial thinking regarding the campaign.
	Charitable organisations are also kept up to date with the progress of campaign development and sit on the communication stakeholders group which feeds into on-going alcohol communications activity and helps shape future plans.

Anorexia and Suicide Websites

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department will undertake research on the influence on vulnerable people of material on websites encouraging anorexia and suicide.

Rosie Winterton: The Department is concerned about the risks posed by websites encouraging anorexia and is working with a media agency who have offered their expertise  pro bono to run advertisement directing youngsters to more appropriate sites.
	In January 2006, I met with the Internet Service Providers Association UK and Samaritans to explore ways that internet service providers can help in protecting vulnerable people from accessing internet sites and chat rooms that make information available about suicides.
	There are no current plans to undertake research on the influence on vulnerable people of material on websites encouraging suicide or anorexia. We are convinced by the anecdotal evidence of their dangerousness but are quite unable to take any legal action against them because such sites are not in themselves illegal and may also be hosted overseas. We continue to explore other, non-legislative, courses of action.

Autism

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps she is taking to improve the care offered to those diagnosed with autism;
	(2)  how many people were diagnosed with autism in 2005-06.

Ivan Lewis: It is for local commissioners to ensure their populations benefit from improvements to the provision of care for people with autistic spectrum disorders, using the increasing resources this Government have made available.
	In the three years to March 2006 we invested £300 million in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) provided by the national health services and local authorities. In 2006-07 they will have a further £140 million available to them. This is being used to develop CAMHS to ensure that the challenge of providing and then maintaining a comprehensive CAMHS can be met. One element of a comprehensive CAMHS are services for autistic young people who also have mental health problems.
	The Department does not collect data on the number of people diagnosed with autism.
	However, hospital episode statistics show that there were 10,355 finished consultant episodes with a diagnosis falling under the wider field of autistic spectrum disorders in 2005-06. This includes patients admitted to NHS hospitals only and is likely to be much smaller than the total number of patients diagnosed. The figure does not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.

Better Healthcare

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what instructions her Department has given to the Programme Steering Group responsible for reviewing the Better Healthcare, Closer to Home proposals; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The care closer to home demonstration group is overseeing the care closer to home demonstration project. Its terms of reference are:
	to provide a strategic overview to sub-groups;
	to determine the evaluation arrangements;
	to provide a steer to the sub-groups about the closer to home themes;
	to determine what should happen to the recommendations;
	to sign off and submit interim and final report;
	to secure professional support for recommendations; and
	to be the public face of the project.

Binge Drinking

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what material her Department has provided to schools and colleges to raise awareness of binge drinking.

Caroline Flint: The Government's national campaign "know your limits" is the first to focus on binge drinking. Campaign leaflets on binge drinking and young people are distributed from health promotion units around the country. One of their major customer groups are schools and colleges.
	Alcohol education materials are routinely made available to schools and colleges through the network of health promotion units around the country.

Binge Drinking

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effect on demand for NHS  (a) accident and emergency and  (b) longer term services of trends in teenage binge drinking.

Caroline Flint: Table 1 uses the age group 16 to 19 as a proxy measure for teenage binge drinking. It also uses the Information Centre's measure of binge drinking—boys drinking more than eight units in one day and girls drinking more than six units a day.
	Table 1 shows that, between 1998 and 2004, binge drinking by this age group changed very little.
	We are unable to determine if demand by this age group for accident and emergency services has increased, as records are not kept in a way that would allow us to make this assessment.
	Table 2 shows that admission to hospital following a visit to accident and emergency by this age group in each year from 1998-99 to 2005-06 rose from 4,114 to 7,237. This is almost entirely due to incidents of acute intoxication in this age group.
	Well over 90 per cent. of alcohol related admissions to hospital for this age group come via accident and emergency. Few admissions come from other sources such as GPs or planned admissions, indicating a small burden on longer term services.
	
		
			  Table 1: Drinking last week by sex—people aged 16 to 19 in 1998 to 2004 
			  Percentage 
			   1998( 1)  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			  Drank last week   
			 Men 63 63 59 57 63 59 
			 Women 56 56 57 52 58 51 
			
			  Drank more than 8/6 units( 2)  on at least one day   
			 Men 31 33 27 27 31 30 
			 Women 23 24 27 26 26 22 
			 (1) 1998 data are unweighted (2) Binge is defined as those drinking 8/6 units on at least one day a week  Source: Statistics on Alcohol: England, 2006—The Information Centre for health and social care. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Counts of finished admission episodes for patients aged 16-19 with a primary or secondary diagnosis of selected alcohol related diseases( 1) , NHS Hospitals, England 1998-99 to 2005-06 
			   Admission via A and E  Admission not via A and E  Unknown method of admission 
			 2005-06 7,237 354 5 
			 2004-05 5,665 334 5 
			 2003-04 4,415 308 4 
			 2002-03 3,635 278 3 
			 2001-02 3,795 280 4 
			 2000-01 3,894 329 9 
			 1999-2000 4,400 275 0 
			 1998-99 4,114 294 9 
			 (1) Alcohol related diseases defined as following ICD-10 codes: F10: Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol K70: Alcoholic liver disease T51: Toxic effect of alcohol  Note: Finished admission episode. A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, The Information Centre for health and social care.

Blood: Screening

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with Coventry Teaching Primary Care Trust on the provision of blood test clinics.

Caroline Flint: The provision of blood test clinics is a matter for the relevant local health community. However, the NHS West Midlands reports that the Coventry Teaching primary care trust has recently introduced changes to its blood test clinics with the aim of providing a more clinically appropriate and efficient service.

Cancer Treatment

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much financial support her Department gave to the cancer collaborative on  (a) breast cancer,  (b) lung cancer,  (c) prostate cancer and (iv) colorectal cancer in each of the last eight years.

Rosie Winterton: Information is not available for the financial years prior to 2001-02 and the available information was not recorded in the format requested.
	The table shows the annual allocations to the national health service from the Department to support the employment of local staff and continuation of projects run by the cancer services collaborative-improvement partnership (CSC-IP). These amounts do not include those funds used to support the central co-ordinating team of the CSC-IP.
	
		
			  Financial year  Allocation (£000) 
			 2001-02 5,532 
			 2002-03 6,685 
			 2003-04 9,409 
			 2004-05 18,787 
		
	
	From the financial year 2005-06 onwards, the monies to support the CSC-IP were devolved to the NHS for local management, information on these funds is not collected centrally.

Cancer Treatment

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate she has made of the average length of time it takes for a new cancer treatment to go from the laboratory discovery to being available from the NHS.

Caroline Flint: The Department has made no estimate of the length of time it takes a medicine to go from discovery to use in the national health service. The length of time will vary considerably from drug to drug. Information supplied by the pharmaceutical industry suggests that medicines typically take 10 to 12 years to come to market. These estimates are not specific to cancer medicines.

Carbon Monoxide

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning in 2006.

Caroline Flint: Data giving the number of deaths in 2006 as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning are not yet available. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has indicated that data on death registrations for 2006 will not be available until April or May 2007 and data on death occurrences for 2006 will not be available until October or November 2007.
	The ONS usually provides data for carbon monoxide deaths based upon deaths occurring in each year and the ONS anticipates the 2006 data would not be available until late November 2007.
	The latest ONS data available for England and Wales for 2005 indicates 257 deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning(1).
	(1) The cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code T58.

Cholesterol

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will set targets for improving the  (a) total cholesterol and  (b) low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels among patients at high risk of coronary heart disease in England; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Our policy on cholesterol targets is set out in the national service framework for coronary heart disease, and reflected in key drivers of practice such as the quality and outcomes framework of the general medical service contract.
	One of the principal mechanisms for updating policy is through the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). NICE is currently working on guidance on lipid management, due out later this year. That guidance will set out any revisions to current policy on targets for controlling cholesterol.

Cholesterol

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she collects on the  (a) total cholesterol and  (b) low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels of (i) patients at high risk of coronary heart disease and (ii) patients suffering from diabetes; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The new General Medical Services (GMS) contract specification encourages primary care practices to identify patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and diabetes and to control cholesterol in those patients. The following tables show the percentage of available points achieved against these indicators across England demonstrating that general practitioner practices are making good progress of improving control of cholesterol in patients with cardiovascular disease.
	The applicable quality and outcomes framework (QOF) indicators and the overall percentages are as follows:
	
		
			  CHD 8: Percentage of patients with coronary heart disease whose last measured total cholesterol (measured in the last 15 months) is 5mmol/l or less. 
			  QOF  Overall percentage CHD 8 for England 
			 2004-05 72 
			 2005-06 78 
		
	
	
		
			  Stroke 8: Percentage of patients with TIA or stroke whose last measured total cholesterol (measured in the last 15 months) is 5mmol/l or less 
			  QOF  Overall percentage stroke 8 for England 
			 2004-05 63 
			 2005-06 72 
		
	
	
		
			  DM 17: Percentage of patients with diabetes whose last measured total cholesterol within previous 15 months is 5mmol/l or less 
			  QOF  Overall percentage DM17 for England 
			 2004-05 72 
			 2005-06 79 
			  Notes: Please note some patients may be excluded from the indicator because of exceptions and exclusions. Only patients registered with a general practice participating in QOF will be included

Cirrhosis

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children under 18 years were diagnosed with alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver in each of the last 10 years.

Caroline Flint: The table shows details of children under 18 years who were diagnosed with alcohol related cirrhosis of the liver in the last 10 years.
	
		
			  Count of finished consultant episodes (FCE) for primary and secondary diagnosis of K70.3 alcoholic cirrhosis of liver for under 18-year-olds 1996-97 to 2005-06 
			   Number 
			 2005-06 1 
			 2004-05 0 
			 2003-04 1 
			 2002-03 0 
			 2001-02 0 
			 2000-01 1 
			 1999-2000 0 
			 1998-99 0 
			 1997-98 0 
			 1996-97 0 
			  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for Health and Social Care

Class A Drug Addicts

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her most recent estimate is of the number of  (a) cocaine and  (b) heroin addicts in England.

Caroline Flint: We do not have estimates of numbers of heroin and cocaine addicts but recent Home Office research, using 2004-05 data, has provided estimates of numbers of people who are problematic users of opiates or crack cocaine or of both types of drugs.
	There are no good estimates for problematic powder cocaine users. Crack cocaine users and opiate users are those included in the new estimates.
	The estimated number of opiate users aged 15 to 64 in England (including heroin and methadone users) is 281, 320 (95 per cent. CI(1) 279,753 to 292,941).
	The estimated number of crack cocaine users (not including powder cocaine users) is 192,999 (95 per cent. CI 188,138 to 210,763). However, it should be noted that this estimate will include crack cocaine for whom crack cocaine is not necessarily their main drug of use.
	Many of the opiate users and crack cocaine users are the same people and there are an estimated 327,466 (95 per cent. CI 325,945 to 343,424) people who use either opiates or crack cocaine or use both types of drugs.
	(1) 95 per cent. confidence intervals show the range of values within which we can be 95 per cent. sure that the 'true' PDU estimate lies.

Clinical Assessment, Treatment and Support Services

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a guarantee has been made to an independent sector provider that GPs will refer to them an agreed proportion of referrals for clinical assessment treatment and support services in the North West of England.

Andy Burnham: No contracts have been signed for clinical assessment, treatment and support (CATS) services in the North West of England. The commercial terms of the CATS service for Cumbria and Lancashire are still under negotiation with the preferred bidder. There are no guarantees in respect of the number of referrals. The commercial terms between the Department and the bidder are commercially sensitive.

Clinical Assessment, Treatment and Support Services

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to assess the competence of the staff of independent providers in providing  (a) clinical assessment treatment and support services and  (b) elective surgery.

Andy Burnham: Providers must demonstrate that all workforce strategies, policies, processes and practices comply with the provisions outlined in 'Safer Recruitment—A Guide for NHS Employers, the Code of Practice for International Recruitment of Healthcare Professionals and Standards for Better Health.'

Clinical Assessment, Treatment and Support Services

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effect upon levels of employment in NHS trusts of transferring  (a) clinical assessment, treatment and support services and  (b) elective surgery to the independent sector.

Andy Burnham: NHS North West is working with local primary care trusts to assess and manage the impact on acute trust of introducing clinical assessment, treatment and support services. This includes any possible impact on national health service staff.

Clinical Assessment, Treatment and Support Services

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the length of the decision-making process will be on the implementation of clinical assessment, treatment and support services in Cumbria and Lancashire;
	(2)  what time period there will be between the publication of the consultation on clinical assessment, treatment and support services and the opening of CATS centres in Cumbria and Lancashire.

Andy Burnham: The six primary care trusts covering Cumbria and Lancashire are currently undertaking public consultation on the proposed clinical assessment, treatment and support (CATS) services for the region. This consultation ends on 9 March 2007. The joint primary care trust independent sector commissioning board is due to meet on 21 March 2007 to consider the outcome of the consultation. Further timings will be dependent on the outcome of this meeting.

Cloned Animals and Birds: Food Products

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether meat produced from cloned animals and birds will have to be labelled before entering the market in the EU;
	(2)  whether milk and milk products produced from cloned dairy animals will have to be  (a) approved and  (b) identified as such via labelling in order to enter the market in the EU.

Caroline Flint: The sale of foods and food ingredients derived from cloned animals falls within the scope of the Novel Foods Regulation (EC) 258/97. The authorisation and labelling of novel foods is decided on a case-by-case basis and no applications have been received to date for products derived from cloned animals.

Committees: Ministerial Attendance

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what occasions  (a) she and  (b) departmental Ministers have been requested to appear before committees of (i) devolved institutions and (ii) the European Parliament since 2004; on what topic in each case; how many and what proportion of such requests were accepted; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: No central record of ministerial invitations to appear before committees of the European Parliament are maintained.
	However, the Secretary of State did appear before the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee during the United Kingdom European Union Presidency.
	No Ministers have appeared before either the Scottish Parliament or the Welsh Assembly since 2004. The Northern Ireland Assembly has been suspended since 2002.

Complementary Medicine: Prisons

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on acupuncture for prisoners in Category  (a) A,  (b) B,  (c) C and  (d) D conditions in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally. The provision of alternative or complementary therapies for prisoners is a matter for the primary care trust responsible for commissioning the health service at the establishment concerned.

Coronary and Stroke Care

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the evidential basis is for the statement on page 10 of the National Director for Heart Disease and Stroke's report entitled "Mending Hearts and Brains", published 5 December 2006, that 5 per cent. of patients used to die while waiting up to two years for heart operations.

Rosie Winterton: "Mending Hearts and Brains", the document in which the figure of 5 per cent. features, is a personal report from the National Clinical Director for Heart Disease and Stroke. This figure of 5 per cent. reflects a judgment based on expert professional knowledge and experience rather than research evidence, of which there is little available, on this particular topic. This will be made clear in a revised version of the report which will be made available on the website.
	Data on numbers of people dying while waiting for heart operations is not collected centrally. One article from 1999(1) cites a lower estimate of around 2 per cent. although this is drawn from the New Zealand experience where waiting times were shorter.
	(1 )Reference: Heart 1999; 81:5647

Dental Services

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists are in dispute with the Department of Health over their contracts.

Rosie Winterton: General dental services (GDS) contracts and personal dental services (PDS) agreements are held with primary care trusts (PCTs). The Department collects information on the number of GDS and PDS contract holders that signed their contracts in dispute as at 1 April 2006 and the number of outstanding disputes. These disputes are between the contract holder and the PCT. A contract may cover more than one dentist. As at the end of November 2006, there were 868 outstanding disputes.

Dental Services: Manpower

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists there are per head of population in  (a) Morecambe and Lunesdale,  (b) Lancashire and  (c) England.

Rosie Winterton: Information is not available in the form requested for the constituency or county. Information is available in this format by primary care trust (PCT) and strategic health authority (SHA). Information for the local PCT and SHA as at 30 September 2006 is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Numbers of dentists on open NHS contracts per 100,000 population in England and the specified SHA and PCT as at 30 September 2006 
			   Dentists per 100,000 of population 
			 England 40.22 
			 North West SHA 41.86 
			 Morecambe Bay PCT 44.51 
			  Notes: 1. England and SHA population data have been estimated using Office for National Statistics 2005 mid-year population estimates based on the 2001 census. PCT data have been estimated using 2004 mid-year population estimates as these are the latest available at this level. 2. Dentists will be counted more than once if they have contracts in more than one PCT or SHA. The England figure excludes duplication.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care NHS Business Services Authority

Dentistry

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of  (a) pensioners,  (b) low income families and  (c) children under 16 years of age who are not registered with an NHS dentist in Peterborough constituency; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Information on patients not registered with a national health service dentist is not collected centrally. Information available shows patients registered with an NHS dentist and is shown in the table. The latest information available on patients registered was published in August 2006 by The Information Centre for health and social care as part of the 'NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report March 2006'. Registration data no longer forms part of the new contract information, instead the new measure is patients seen within the last 24 months. Data showing patients seen split by adult and child will be published for the first time by The Information Centre as part of the quarter three publication due for release in March 2007.
	General dental services (GDS) and personal dental services (PDS): Patients registered and proportion of the population registered with a dentist, by child and adult, by specific primary care trust, and England as at 31 March 2006 Proportion of population
	
		
			   Patients Registered  Percentage of population registered 
			   Adults  Children  All  Adults  Children  All 
			 North Peterborough PCT 52,870 18,548 71,418 73 79 74 
			 South Peterborough 20,101 12,715 32,816 25 50 31 
			 PCT   
			 England 17,670,283 7,044,134 24,714,417 45 64 49 
			  Notes: 1. The postcode of the dental practice was used to allocate dentists to specific geographic areas. PCT and strategic health authority areas have been defined using the Office for National Statistics all fields postcode directory.  2. Dentists consist of principals, assistant and trainees. Information on NHS dentistry in the community dental service, in hospitals and in prisons are excluded.  3. The data in this report are based on NHS dentists on PCT lists. These details were passed on to the BSA who paid dentists based on activity undertaken. A dentist can provide as little or as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses or has agreed with the PCT. In some cases an NHS dentist may appear on a PCT list but not perform any NHS work in that period. Most NHS dentists do some private work. The data does not take into account the proportion of NHS work undertaken by dentists.  4. 2005 and 2006 data have been estimated using Office for National Statistics 2004 mid-year population estimates based on the 2001 Census as these were the latest available at the time of publication.  5. The boundaries used are as at 31 March 2006.   Sources: The Information Centre for health and social care NHS Business Services Authority (BSA) Office for National Statistics

Depression

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what research her Department has commissioned on the cost-effectiveness of routine screening of populations known to be at high risk of depression;
	(2)  what studies her Department has commissioned comparing the efficacy of different models of therapy offered to those suffering from depression.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has not commissioned any national research and development programme work in these areas. We provide funding for research and development programmes which support policy and provide the underpinning evidence needed for quality improvements and service development in the national health service, but these are devolved to and managed by NHS organisations.
	NHS research and development programmes which are funded this way include the NHS health technology assessment programme, which has commissioned the following projects:
	A pragmatic randomised controlled trial to evaluate exercise prescription as a treatment for depression.
	Clinical effectiveness and cost of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation versus electro-convulsive therapy in severe depression: a multi-centre randomised controlled trial and economic analysis.
	Randomised trial of fluoxetine and cognitive-behavioural therapy versus fluoxetine alone in adolescents with persistent major depression.
	Antidepressant drug therapy versus a community-based psychosocial intervention for the treatment of moderate postnatal depression: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial.
	Psychological interventions for postnatal depression - randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation.
	Randomised controlled trial to determine the cost-effectiveness of fluoxetine for mild to moderate depression with somatic symptoms in primary care—threshold for antidepressant treatment.
	Folate augmentation of treatment—valuation for depression: randomised controlled trial.
	Effectiveness of counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy and general practitioner care for depression in general practice.
	A randomised controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of counselling with patients with chronic depression and anxiety.
	The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of computerised cognitive behaviour therapy for depression and anxiety.
	Computerised cognitive behaviour therapy for depression and anxiety update: a systematic review and economic evaluation.
	Clinical and cost-effectiveness of electro-convulsive therapy for depressive illness, schizophrenia, catatonia and mania; systematic reviews and economic modelling studies.
	A rapid and systematic review and economic evaluation of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of newer drugs for treatment of mania associated with bipolar affective disorder.
	A randomised controlled trial to compare the cost-effectiveness of tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors and lofepramine.

Diabetic Foot Care

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of  (a) provision,  (b) quality and  (c) accessibility of diabetic foot care facilities in (i) Hartlepool Primary Care Trust and (ii) the area covered by the North East Strategic Health Authority.

Rosie Winterton: The provision of diabetic services is determined locally where responsibility for local health services lies. It is now for primary care trusts in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders to plan, develop and improve health services for local people.

Digital Hearing Aids

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the waiting period is for digital hearing aids in each primary care trust area.

Ivan Lewis: The Department does not collect data on waiting times for fitting of digital hearing aids. Since January 2006, we have been collecting waiting time data for diagnostic tests/procedures, including audiology. The monthly diagnostic data for audiology consisted of waits for pure tone audiometry until October 2006 (published in December) when this was extended to cover all audiometry assessments. This information is published monthly on the Department of Health website at:
	www.performance.doh.gov.uk/diagnostics/downloads/monthly/Excel_Download-WEB-Diagnostics_November_Provider.xls
	In order to improve access and reduce waiting times for audiology services, a national action plan is being developed for publication soon.
	In addition to the development of the action plan, the Department has also announced the procurement of up to 300,000 audiology pathways to provide assessment, fitting and follow up.
	Both of these measures will assist in significantly reducing waiting times and will greatly benefit those who receive hearing aids.

Drug Rehabilitation Beds

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residential drug rehabilitation beds there are; how many are occupied by defendants from the Criminal Justice System in England and Wales; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: There are 115 residential drug rehabilitation services in England with a total of 2,441 beds for drug and/or alcohol treatment. We do not have a record centrally of how many of these beds are occupied by defendants of the criminal justice system.

East Lancashire Hospitals Trust

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the proceeds of the sale of  (a) Rossendale General Hospital and  (b) the hospital site would be (i) additional to the operating budget of the East Lancashire Hospitals Trust and available to the trust to spend on health provision in Rossendale at their own discretion and (ii) netted off against current or future capital allocation.

Rosie Winterton: Under the current national health service capital regime, if a trust sells a fixed asset, then he value of the asset held in the books must be reinvested in fixed assets such as buildings and clinical equipment. It may not be used to fund the day to day operating costs of services.
	Asset sale proceeds enhance a trust's capital spending power and there is no netting off against future capital allocations. If the trust makes a profit on disposal, in cases where the sale proceeds exceed the value of the asset held in the trust's books, then the profit is available to be reinvested into health provision. Conversely if the trust makes a loss on disposal, the trust must make the necessary decisions to absorb the impact on the overall financial position.
	There are plans at the trust to reinvest part of the land sale receipt into supporting the development of the new health care campus.

Elderly

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on the Government's Dignity for Older People campaign; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: To date, the costs associated with the Dignity in Care Campaign have been some £118,000. This has funded a nurse summit, two dignity champions events, the development and production of the Dignity Challenge and Dignity Cards, and the development and management of the online Dignity Champions network.

Elderly: Nutrition

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government is taking to ensure that residential care and nursing homes for the elderly meet nutritional requirements; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Care Homes Regulations state that homes must provide, in adequate quantities, suitable, wholesome and nutritious food which is varied and properly prepared and available at such time as may reasonably be required by service users. Food in the Regulations includes drinks/fluids.
	The National Minimum Standards (NMS) for care homes for older people require that service users receive a wholesome appealing balanced diet in pleasing surroundings at times convenient to them and that hot and cold drinks and snacks are available at all times and offered regularly. The NMS are under review at present; the intention is to implement any revised standards in late 2007.
	In 2006, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) published nutrient and food based advice for those providing food in care homes. These are "Nutrient and Food Based Guidelines for UK Institutions (October 2006), Food served to Older People in Residential Care" (October 2006) and "Example Menus for Care Homes" (August 2006). They are available on the FSA website at:
	www.food.gov.uk/healthiereating/nutritioncommunity/care.
	Copies have been placed in the Library. The nutrient and food-based guidance for those providing residential care for older people is the first part in a series of guidance documents for United Kingdom institutions. The FSA expects to produce guidance for other institutions, including the national health service and prisons, in early 2007.
	On 23 January, I announced that I intend to convene a summit involving organisations who have experience and are knowledgeable about the challenges of providing good nutrition in care to discuss this issue.

Emergency Bed Days

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total number of emergency bed days has been in the NHS in England in each financial year since 1997-98  (a) in total and  (b) expressed as a percentage of the total number of bed days.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of bed days for emergency admission group  Total number of bed days for all admission groups  Emergency bed days expressed as a percentage of the total number of bed days 
			 1997-98 30,342,827 49,535,706 61.3 
			 1998-99 31,177,520 49,863,665 62.5 
			 1999-2000 31,269,251 49,539,741 63.1 
			 2000-01 32,178,037 50,196,951 64.1 
			 2001-02 32,925,334 50,776,911 64.8 
			 2002-03 33,131,586 51,232,337 64.7 
			 2003-04 33,592,698 51,198,417 65.6 
			 2004-05 33,073,383 50,518,668 65.5 
			  Notes: Bed days during the year for finished episodes. Total bed days during the year from episode start date or 1 April (whichever is later) to episode end date or 31 March (whichever is earlier). Admission methods for the emergency admissions included above are: 21 Emergency—via Accident and Emergency (A and E) services, including the casualty department of the provider 22 Emergency—via general practitioner 23 Emergency—via Bed Bureau, including the Central Bureau 24 Emergency—via consultant out-patient clinic 28 Emergency—other means, including patients who arrive via the A and E department of another health care provider  Data quality Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS Trusts and Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in England  Source: Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care

EU Smoking Ban

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the treaty base is of EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou's proposal for an EU-wide ban on smoking in public places.

Caroline Flint: The European Commission published a Green Paper entitled "Towards a Europe free from tobacco smoke: policy options at EU level" on 30 January 2007. Among other issues, the Green Paper discusses the actions that could be taken at a European-level to tackle the issue of second-hand smoke in Europe. Five different policy options are identified, one of which is binding European legislation. The document explains on page 19:
	"The exact legal basis of the legislation could only be determined once the exact nature and scope of the instrument will be defined and this choice will have to take into account the results of this public consultation"
	The Green Paper is available on the European Commission's website at:
	ec.europa.eu/health/ph_determinants/life_style/Tobacco/Documents/gp_smoke_en.pdf
	England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be introducing comprehensive smokefree legislation in 2007—this will mean the United Kingdom population will be protected by smokefree legislation from this summer. The Government welcome the publication of the Green Paper as an opportunity for all interested groups to contribute to thinking at an European-level on smokefree public places and workplaces.

Foetal Tissue

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons she refused the offer of funds from Virgin Group Ltd. to support an NHS cord blood bank.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 8 February 2007
	I understand that over 10 years ago, Sir Richard Branson offered to donate £1.5 million to support an NHS cord blood bank, on condition that the Department matched that sum. At the time the Department had already allocated considerably more than £1.5 million to establishing the NHS cord blood bank, therefore Sir Richard's offer did not materialise. We are not aware of any more recent offer.
	Since 2003-04 the NHS cord blood bank, one of the few internationally accredited cord blood banks in the world, has received nearly £4.5 million from the Department to support the work of the cord blood bank.

Food Labelling

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to improve  (a) country of origin and  (b) country of packaging labelling on food products.

Caroline Flint: Country of origin labelling is mandatory for beef, veal, fish and shellfish (whether pre-packed or loose), wine, certain fresh fruit and vegetables, olive oil, honey, and poultry meat from outside the European Union. It is also required on other foods if purchasers might otherwise be misled.
	The European Commission is currently reviewing all labelling legislation, including country of origin. The Government are, in principle, in favour of extending country of origin labelling to a wider range of foods, subject to satisfactory cost benefit analysis.
	In addition to legislative requirements, the Food Standards Agency has produced country of origin best practice guidance to help industry, retailers and caterers to provide additional voluntary information to better inform consumers. The guidance is currently being revised with a view to publication in early 2007.
	The draft revised guidance recommends that if a product carries a packed-in statement that refers to one country, but it is produced in another, the label should make this clear.

Food Labelling

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which companies are participating in the Food Standards Agency traffic light labelling scheme; and how the Food Standards Agency television awareness campaign is being funded.

Caroline Flint: Sainsbury's, Waitrose, the Co-op, McCains, Marks and Spencer and New Covent Garden Food Company are currently using the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) traffic light colour-coded labelling approach. Asda, Budgens/Londis, Avondale Foods, Moy Park, Bombay Halwa, Britannia and S and B Herba have announced their intention to introduce colour-coded front of pack nutrition labelling schemes shortly. A number of other retailers and manufacturers have also expressed an interest in adopting the approach.
	The FSA television advertising campaign is funded by the agency.

Food Standards Agency

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget is for the Food Standards Agency traffic light labelling television advertising campaign.

Caroline Flint: The agency budget for front of pack nutrition signpost labelling advertising activity is £1.9 million.

Food Standards Agency

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on the nutrient profiling model developed by the FSA for the use of Ofcom on television advertising.

Caroline Flint: I have had regular discussions with the Food Standards Agency on the nutrient profiling model. The model enables Ofcom to devise rules on television advertising of foods high in fat, salt and sugars which do not have an unhelpful impact on the advertising of healthier options such as fruit and vegetables. I wrote to the chair of Ofcom on 6 December 2006 indicating our support for the model as an appropriate basis for underpinning regulatory intervention in relation to broadcast food advertising to children.

General Practitioners: Pay

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2007,  Official Report, column 62W, on practice-based commissioning, what plans she has to collect data on component two of the payment; and whether her Department has made any estimate of the proportion of practices in receipt of component two.

Andy Burnham: The Department is collecting data on the amount of money primary care trusts have spent on component two of the Directed Enhanced Service for practice based commissioning. Audited financial outturn data will be available following the end of the financial year.
	Data on the numbers of practices currently in receipt of component two is not collected centrally and the Department has made no estimate of the proportion of practices who have received it.

Health Expenditure

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what expenditure above that already allocated for 2006-07 her Department plans in Hartlepool constituency to improve community and primary care facilities.

Rosie Winterton: In 2006-07, £131.9 million has been allocated to the Hartlepool Primary Care Trust (PCT) and this will rise to £144.2 million in 2007-08.
	Following the introduction of the new general medical service (GMS) contract, the funding for general practitioner premises forms part of the unified allocations made to PCTs. It is the responsibility of individual PCTs to decide locally what is spent on premises or other areas within the terms of the GMS contract.
	However, the Hartlepool area has recently benefited from the results of the LIFT initiative which has seen the completion in August 2006 of the Wynyard Road Primary Care Centre at a cost of £1.2 million.

Health Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many clinical assessment, treat and support services are operated by  (a) NHS hospitals and  (b) primary care trusts; and what the average through-put of patients was in each location in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Health Services: Greater Manchester

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Bolton, South-East, on 26 January 2007,  Official Report, column 2139W, on integrated clinical assessment and treatment services, what recent figures have been given to her by the NHS North West strategic health authority on the financial impact of the introduction of the independent integrated clinical assessment and treatment services on the foundation and acute trusts in Greater Manchester.

Andy Burnham: The impact assessment of the clinical assessment, treatment and support scheme is still being undertaken. The NHS North West expects to share the findings with stakeholders in spring 2007 once the assessment is complete.

Health Services: Northern Region

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether an assessment has been made by her Department comparing the expected costs of clinical assessment, treat and support services in Cumbria and Lancashire and the development or reconfiguration of existing local NHS services.

Andy Burnham: The clinical assessment, treatment and support (CATS) services for Cumbria and Lancashire will provide clinical consultations, diagnostic tests and minor treatment on one site. Patients using CATS services are likely to attend health services on fewer occasions than under a traditional outpatient care pathway, resulting in lower costs.

Health Services: West Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting list times for  (a) patients and  (b) cancer patients of West Lancashire hospitals were in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Average waiting times for the treatment of cancer patients are not collected centrally. Cancer waiting times standards of a maximum wait of 31 days from diagnosis to first cancer treatment and a maximum wait of 62 days from urgent referral to first cancer treatment were introduced for all cancer patients from December 2005. Data showing performance against these standards for the period July to September 2006 shows that patients at the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre NHS Trust achieved 99.7 per cent. and 96.5 per cent. respectively. For the same period Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust achieved 100 per cent. and 97.6 per cent. respectively.
	More detailed information and historic statistics for these standards and the cancer Two Week Wait are available online at:
	www.performance.doh.gov.uk/cancerwaits.
	Information requested on waiting times for all clinical specialties is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Provider-based median inpatient waiting times 
			   NHS trusts 
			   Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Community Health Services  Blackpool Victoria  Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre  Southport and Formby Hospitals  West Lancashire  Southport and Ormskirk Hospital 
			 March 1997 7.3 11.5 — 19.1 19.6 — 
			 March 1998 6.8 11.8 — 21.9 24.6 — 
			 March 1999 7.0 10.5 — 17.9 23.6 — 
			 March 2000 7.6 10.9 — — — 19.6 
			 March 2001 7.0 11.1 — — — 17.7 
			 March 2002 7.0 12.9 — — — 16.9 
			 March 2003 — — 11.6 — — 14.5 
			 March 2004 — — 10.4 — — 11.1 
			 March 2005 — — 8.7 — — 8.6 
			 March 2006 — — 7.1 — — 6.8 
			 September 2006 — — 6.2 — — 6.9 
			 November 2006 — — 5.2 — — 6.0 
		
	
	
		
			  Provider-based median outpatient waiting times 
			   NHS trusts 
			   Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Community Health Services  Blackpool Victoria  Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre  Southport and Formby Hospitals  West Lancashire  Southport and Ormskirk Hospital 
			 March 1997 6.6 4.0 — 8.2 8.0 — 
			 March 1998 5.9 4.0 — 8.6 8.4 — 
			 March 1999 6.4 4.6 — 8.9 9.7 — 
			 March 2000 8.1 6.7 — — — 10.8 
			 March 2001 5.8 6.5 — — — 9.9 
			 March 2002 6.3 7.5 — — — 8.3 
			 March 2003 — — 6.0 — — 7.8 
			 March 2004 — — 6.4 — — 7.6 
			 March 2005 — — 7.0 — — 8.0 
			 March 2006 — — 5.8 — — 6.3 
			 September 2006 — — 4.7 — — 6.1 
			 November 2006 — — n/a — — n/a 
			  Source: Department of Health, KH07 and QM08

Health Start Scheme

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many retailers have been deregistered from the Healthy Start scheme since its inception.

Caroline Flint: No retail outlets have been deregistered from the Healthy Start scheme since its inception in November 2005. To date, over 26,000 retail outlets have been registered to participate in the Healthy Start scheme across Great Britain.

Healthy Living Social Marketing Strategy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1589W, on Healthy Living Social Marketing Strategy, which  (a) individuals and  (b) organisations attended the public stakeholder event on 15 December 2006.

Caroline Flint: The stakeholder event on 15 December 2006 was attended by a wide range of external organisations. The Department is unable to disclose personal details of individual delegates who attended this event, as this information is not in the public domain. However, a list of those organisations who attended this event is as follows:
	23 Red
	Ajinomoto
	Amateur Rowing Association
	Amateur Swimming Association
	Arts Council England
	BBC Occupational Risk Management
	Bell Pottinger Group
	Big Lottery Fund
	Biscuit Cake Chocolate and Confectionery Association
	Boots the Chemist
	British Dietetic Association
	British Gymnastics
	British Hospitality Association
	British Nutrition Foundation
	British Retail Consortium
	Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd.
	BTCB
	Business in Sport and Leisure
	Business in the Community
	Cadburys Schweppes Plc
	Cancer Research UK
	CCD Healthcare PR
	CCPR
	Centrica Plc
	Charlton Athletic Community Trust
	Childcare Consultancy
	Coca-Cola Company
	Coca-Cola Services SA
	COI
	Corperformance Consulting Ltd.
	CRUK Health Behaviour Unit, UCL
	CTC, The National Cyclists' Organisation
	Defra
	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
	Department for Education and Skills
	Department of Health
	Diabetes UK
	Digital Public
	Exercise Movement and Dance Partnership
	FA Premier League
	Family Holiday Association/Youth Hostel
	Fast Track
	Fitness Industry Association
	Food and Drink Federation
	Foresight
	Fresh Produce Consortium
	Glasshouse Partnership
	GlaxoSmithKline
	Good Relations Political
	Gymkids
	H. J. Heinz Company Ltd.
	Health and Safety Executive
	Health Inequalities Unit
	HEART UK (Cholesterol UK Committee)
	HPL
	IPC Media
	ITV Plc
	Jamie Oliver—Feed Me Better
	Keen Weight Watchers UK Ltd.
	Kellogg's
	Kraft Foods
	Living Street
	Local Government Association
	Marks and Spencer
	Masterfoods
	McCain Foods
	McDonald's Restaurants Ltd.
	MEND Program
	Munro and Forster
	National Children's Bureau
	Natural England
	Nestle UK Ltd.
	NHS Health Scotland
	NHS London and Sport England London
	NHS North West
	Nickelodeon
	NSMC and DH OSMP Team
	Office of the Children's Commissioner
	OLR
	OxfordSM
	PepsiCo UK
	Pfizer
	Play England
	Pre-School Learning Alliance
	Regional Public Health Group
	RHM Plc
	Royal College of Physicians
	RSA
	Rugby Football Union
	Sainsbury's
	Saracens Foundation
	School Food Trust
	Scottish Executive Health Department
	Slimming World
	Sponsus Ltd. (currently working with FDF)
	Sport England
	Sustain
	The British Heart Foundation
	The Cooperative Group
	The Early Doors Partnership Ltd.
	The Football Association
	The Hyperactive Children's Support Group
	The Obesity Awareness and Solutions Trust
	Titan Publishing Ltd.
	Titterton Nestle
	UK TV
	Unilever UK
	University of Teesside
	Weight Concern
	Whitehouse Consultancy
	Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc
	World Cancer Research Fund
	YMCA Fairthorne Group and YMCA England
	Youth Active
	Youth Sport Trust

Hepatitis C

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she plans to set targets for the identification of those infected with hepatitis C; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: We have no plans to set national targets for the diagnosis of individuals infected with hepatitis C. In the 'Hepatitis C Action Plan for England', there are two national outcome indicators, drawn from epidemiological surveillance by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), intended to track increased testing.
	The first indicator is the total number of laboratory confirmed hepatitis C infection reports. There has been a significant increase in hepatitis C diagnoses in England reported to the HPA through national surveillance from around 4,700 in 2001 before initial hepatitis C awareness-raising activities begun, to around 7,600 in 2005.
	The second indicator is the proportion of those attending treatment and support agencies for injecting drug users who are aware of their hepatitis C infection. This proportion has increased from 41 per cent. in 2001 to 52 per cent. in 2005.
	Other surveillance sources also indicate that hepatitis C testing and diagnosis is increasing. For example, in the unlinked anonymous prevalence monitoring programme, the proportion of injecting drug users attending specialist services who self-report a previous hepatitis C test has increased from 55 per cent. in 2001 to 71 per cent. in 2005. Sentinel surveillance of hepatitis C testing in nine laboratories from 2002-2005 indicates that overall the number of individuals tested for hepatitis C increased by nearly 40 per cent. Testing by general practitioners and in genitor-urinary medicine services both increased by over 50 per cent. and in prisons by around 65 per cent.

Hepatitis C

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the population in England has been identified by the NHS as infected with hepatitis C; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: From 1992, when national surveillance began to 2005, the latest year for which data are currently available, there have been around 54,000 laboratory diagnoses of hepatitis C reported to the Health Protection Agency (HPA). This means that 0.11 per cent. of the population of England has been diagnosed with hepatitis C and reported to the national surveillance system.
	There is some indication from comparison of the number of hepatitis C diagnoses reported through sentinel surveillance in certain parts of the country against those reported to national surveillance that there may be significant under-reporting by laboratories. The HPA's view is that it may be possible that under-reporting of hepatitis C diagnoses to routine surveillance could be significant. This could mean that approximately 100,000 people in England might already have been diagnosed.

Heroin

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what source of supply the national health service uses to acquire heroin for medicinal purposes; whether the supply is sufficient to meet demand; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: There are two suppliers of diamorphine injection to the national health service—Novartis and Wockhardt UK. Both companies are manufacturing to their full available capacity but they are unable to produce sufficient to meet historic levels of demand. We have been in close and ongoing discussions with the suppliers to increase the levels of the drug supplied to the NHS and believe that through careful prescribing and use of available stocks patient care is not being compromised. This is in part because we arranged for the increased production and availability of other alternative drugs such as morphine when the problem arose in December 2004.

Hospital Planning

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice her Department provides to  (a) health trusts and  (b) strategic health authorities on taking steps to ensure that services provided in a hospital setting could not be provided in a community setting.

Andy Burnham: It is a matter for the national health service locally to plan and commission services which are appropriate to the needs of local people.
	However, our vision for providing more services in settings that are convenient for patients was set out on "Our Health, Our Care, Our Say".
	We know from the listening exercise leading up to the White Paper that the public wants more health care closer to home and to support this vision we are evaluating 30 clinically driven closer to home demonstration sites.
	These will test how teams of consultants from six clinical specialties, general practitioners, nurses and other health professionals can safely and effectively provide a range of operations and procedures closer to where people live.
	The recommendations from this project will be used to help inform local commissioning decisions.
	Although one of our goals is to treat people more quickly and conveniently closer to home, this should only be where this is consistent with safety and good quality care.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the anticipated trajectory on which the percentage of  (a) admitted and  (b) non-admitted patients waiting 18 weeks or less for treatment will migrate towards 100 per cent. by 2008.

Andy Burnham: We have published milestones for March 2008 for both admitted and non-admitted patients of 85 per cent. and 90 per cent. respectively, as a step towards 100 per cent. for December 2008. It is for local organisations to agree their trajectory between these points. Strategic health authorities are currently agreeing these plans for 2007-08 and 2008-09.
	There will always be patients for whom the 18 weeks schedule is inconvenient or clinically inappropriate. The Department intends to set a nationally agreed tolerance for the 18-week target later in 2007 to take account of this. Primary care trusts and providers will need to be able to demonstrate that cases that take longer than 18 weeks to reach the start of first definitive treatment are legitimate exceptions.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2007,  Official Report, column 919W, on inpatient waiting times, what percentage of people were removed from the NHS waiting list in each year since 1989-90.

Andy Burnham: The figures are shown in the table.
	
		
			  National provider based inpatient figures from 1989-90 to 2006-07 
			  Financial year  Removals as a percentage of admissions 
			 1989-90 8.4 
			 1990-91 10.0 
			 1991-92 11.5 
			 1992-93 11.7 
			 1993-94 12.7 
			 1994-95 13.4 
			 1995-96 13.5 
			 1996-97 13.5 
			 1997-98 13.6 
			 1998-99 14.9 
			 1999-2000 14.5 
			 2000-01 15.0 
			 2001-02 15.4 
			 2002-03 15.3 
			 2003-04 15.5 
			 2004-05 15.3 
			 2005-06 14.6 
			 2006-07 14.0 
			  Notes:  1. The rate is calculated as using the number of removals divided by the number of admissions plus the number of removals in each year.  2. For 2006-07, the percentage is based on the first two quarters.  Source:  Department of Health, KH06

In Vitro Fertilisation

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines her Department issues on the  (a) drugs and  (b) hormones used in in vitro fertilisation; and if she will regulate to reduce the dosages which may be used.

Caroline Flint: No guidelines have been issued by the Department or the national regulator for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, nor are there any plans to do so.
	Prescribing of drugs for IVF treatment is a matter for the treating clinician's professional judgment, taking account of guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's clinical guideline on assessment and treatment for people with fertility problems and other professional guidance.

Influenza Vaccination

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the impact of the decision to immunise poultry workers against seasonal influenza on the availability of seasonal influenza vaccines for other at-risk groups in the 2006-07 winter.

Caroline Flint: The implementation of the poultry workers policy was made in January, by which time 14.7 million doses of flu vaccine had been distributed to the field. This was more vaccine than used in the seasonal flu vaccination campaign of 2005-06.
	The Department announced the poultry workers campaign in January, and purchased seasonal flu vaccine for this purpose. Therefore the routine seasonal influenza vaccination programme was not adversely affected by the decision to immunise poultry workers.

Influenza Vaccination

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contingency plans she has in place to assist the NHS in responding to an epidemic of seasonal influenza.

Caroline Flint: The seasonal flu vaccination programme offers protection to vulnerable groups. In addition, antiviral drugs can be used to treat people when flu is circulating in the community.
	The national health service is expected each winter, with local authority and other local agencies, to ensure that plans are in place to ensure it copes effectively with additional seasonal pressures on services. The winter report 2005-06 sets out the NHS achievement over last winter. A similar report will be published this year.

Influenza Vaccination

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2006,  Official Report, column 139W, on influenza, what progress she is making towards 75 per cent. seasonal influenza vaccination coverage in at-risk groups, not including those aged 65 years and over.

Caroline Flint: In 2004-05, vaccine uptake in those under 65 years of age in a clinical risk group was 40 per cent. In 2005-06, vaccine uptake has increased to 48 per cent. in these risk groups.
	We do not yet have comparable final data for 2006-07. Provisional data collected by end of December 2006 indicated that 40 per cent. of people under 65 years of age in clinical risk groups had been vaccinated.

Influenza Vaccination

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Bolton are entitled to a free influenza injection in 2006-07; and how many have taken up that entitlement.

Caroline Flint: The number of people aged 65 years and over in Bolton Primary Care Trust entitled to a free influenza injection in 2006-07 is approximately 39,500. Of this figure, 70.9 per cent. had taken up this entitlement by the end of December 2006. The number of people under 65 years who are in a medical risk group and who are entitled to a free influenza injection is approximately 21,000 and 45.2 per cent. had taken up this entitlement by the end of December 2006.
	These figures are based on national vaccine uptake data for people registered with a general practitioner practice and is collected by the Health Protection Agency.

Influenza: Disease Control

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Government Departments and other public sector bodies will be involved in Operation Winter Willow.

Rosie Winterton: Winter Willow part one took place on 30 January 2007 and the following organisations were involved:
	all Government Departments;
	Health Protection Agency;
	Local Government Association;
	Association of Chief Police Officers; and
	the three devolved Administrations.
	Winter Willow part two will take place between 16 and 21 February 2007 and the following organisations will be involved.
	all Government departments;
	Health Protection Agency;
	Association of Chief Police Officers;
	Health and Safety Executive;
	National Blood Service;
	Food Standards Agency;
	all Government offices of the Regions;
	all strategic health authorities;
	all strategic coordination groups (excluding Cumbria and Cleveland);
	10 health communities; and
	the three devolved Administrations.

Inter-authority Transfers

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who in her Department has power to authorise inter-authority transfers under section 97 of the NHS Act 1977.

Andy Burnham: Under Section 97 of the National Health Service Act 1977 as amended, the Secretary of State may make allotments to strategic health authorities, special health authorities or primary care trusts increasing or reducing the allotments previously so made to them.
	The allotments are made on the Secretary of State's behalf by officers within the Department who are members of the Senior Civil Service.

Inter-authority Transfers

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many inter-authority transfers took place in 2006-07 under section 97 of the National Health Service Act 1977; who the  (a) transferer and  (b) transferee was in each case; and what the value of the transfer was in each case.

Andy Burnham: Inter authority transfers (IATs) are transfers of resource and/or cash limits between two national health service organisations. These transfers represent internal transfers of funding and do not affect the overall national limits for the NHS.
	In the current financial year 3,201 IATs have been processed up to the end of December. The information requested on these transfers has been placed in the Library.

Local Authority Children's Services

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the annual cost to local authority children's services of support to children with no recourse to public funds following the implementation of section 54 of and schedule 3 to the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 and section 9 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 2004; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 12 December 2006
	I have been asked to reply.
	Local authorities participating in the section nine pilot were informed of the arrangements for the reimbursement of costs relating to the assessment and provision of services to children affected by a withdrawal of asylum support under the pilot in April 2005.

Malnutrition

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) children and  (b) adults were admitted to hospital in east Sussex as a result of malnutrition in each year since 1997.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Meat Products: Clones

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which scientific advisory committees will examine applications for the import of cloned meat products for food and food ingredients; and which committee will provide advice to Ministers on whether to approve applications.

Caroline Flint: The advisory committee on novel foods and processes would consider applications for the marketing of cloned meat products for food and food ingredients, and would provide advice to Ministers on whether to approve applications.

Meat Products: Clones

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether meat from  (a) cloned animals and  (b) offspring of cloned animals may be sold for human consumption; and what regulations apply to the (i) processing and (ii) labelling of the products of cloned animals.

Caroline Flint: The sale of foods and food ingredients derived from cloned animals falls within the scope of the Novel Foods Regulation (EC) 258/97. The authorisation and labelling of novel foods is decided on a case-by-case basis and no applications have been received to date for products derived from cloned animals. Meat from cloned animals and the offspring from cloned animals cannot therefore currently be sold for human consumption.

Meat Products: Clones

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what investigations into the safety of meat from cloned animals are being undertaken by  (a) the UK and  (b) the EU.

Caroline Flint: No investigations into the safety of meat from cloned animals are currently being undertaken in the United Kingdom or in the European Union. However, at a European Commission (EC) working group on 12 January a number of member states, including the UK, agreed that the European Food Safety Authority should be consulted on this issue. This will be discussed at a forthcoming EC Standing Committee.

Medical Examinations

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress she has made in developing an NHS life check.

Caroline Flint: We are making good progress with the development of NHS Life Checks for the following target audiences—early years, adolescents and mid-life.
	 Early years
	The early years Life Check is being developed as an integral part of the child health promotion programme. It will focus on the health and development needs of the child during their first year of life, but will also encompass parental health issues that could affect the well-being of the child. The current work programme is focused on scoping and agreeing the core content of the early years assessment, in consultation with key stakeholders and experts.
	 Mid-life
	We are also defining and scoping the core content of the mid-life Life Check. We have initiated a user consultation programme to ascertain the views of a wide range of users on the Life Check's content and format. We are continuing to review the evidence base, gather examples of best practice and obtain input from key stakeholders and experts to determine the precise content of the assessment.
	We anticipate piloting and evaluating these two life checks in the second half of 2007.
	 Adolescence
	We will be launching the adolescent Life Check pilots in February 2007. Teen Life Check is an online interactive tool, which will be hosted on the Department for Education and Skills Need2Know website for the duration of the six-month pilot. Teen Life Check will be promoted and evaluated in the four adolescent health demonstration sites, in Bolton, Hackney, Northumberland and Portsmouth, and on the Teenage Health Freak website.

Mental Health

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what total spending on mental health was in each year since 1997; and what proportion of total health spending this represented.

Rosie Winterton: The information is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Gross expenditure 
			  £000 (cash terms) 
			   Mental illness (MI)  Total secondary health care commissioned  MI as percentage of secondary health care  Total net NHS spend  MI as percentage of NHS spend 
			 1996-97 2,648,191 18,947,018 13.98 32,997,000 8.03 
			 1997-98 2,767,036 19,725,339 14.03 34,664,000 7.98 
			 1998-99 2,925,934 21,426,832 13.66 36,608,000 7.99 
			 1999-2000 3,445,341 26,863,847 12.83 40,201,000 8.57 
			 2000-01 3,951,618 28,924,886 13.66 43,932,000 8.99 
			 2001-02 4,381,312 33,018,655 13.27 49,021,000 8.94 
			 2002-03 4,573,703 36,220,778 12.63 54,042,000 8.46 
			 2003-04 5,179,510 40,377,162 12.83 63,001,000 8.22 
			 2004-05 5,623,977 45,826,279 12.27 69,706,000 8.07 
			 2005-06 6,422,017 46,399,008 13.84 76,387,000 8.41 
			  Note: This information does not include expenditure for people with mental health problems who are seen in primary care or expenditure on such people by local authorities.  Sources: 1. Audited accounts of health authorities 1996-97 to 1998-99. 2. Audited summarisation schedules of health authorities 1999-2000 to 2001-02. 3. Audited summarisation schedules of strategic health authorities 2002-03. 4. Audited summarisation schedules of primary care trusts 2000-01 to 2005-06. 5. Net NHS expenditure 1996-97 to 2005-06.

Midwives: Manpower

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of midwives required to meet the target of every pregnant woman having access to her own designated midwife.

Ivan Lewis: There is no national target within the national health service relating to access to a designated midwife.
	Local NHS organisations are responsible for the development of maternity services, ensuring that they meet the needs of their local population and that there are sufficient staff, with the right skills, to ensure access to midwives.
	The Department is currently assessing the implications of the recently published White Paper "Our health, our care, our say: a new direction for community services" and the commitment around offering choice, improving access and continuity of care within maternity services.

Midwives: Manpower

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to reduce the number of hours maternity units close due to vacant posts.

Ivan Lewis: We have put into place a work programme to support the implementation of the work force elements of the maternity commitment as outlined in the maternity standard of the national service framework for children, young people and maternity services and the White Paper "Our health, our care, our say". Local national health service organisations are responsible for developing maternity services in response to the needs of their local population, and for ensuring that they have sufficient staff, with the right skills, to offer appropriate choices.

Midwives: Manpower

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors were taken into account in setting the target of 32 births per year for midwives.

Ivan Lewis: The Government have not set a target of 32 births per year for midwives.
	The birth to midwife ratio varies throughout the country and is dependant on a range of factors including, the model of care, the care setting and the skill mix of the work force. Local organisations should identify an appropriate ratio based on the needs of their local population. Work force planning tools are in place to support this locally.

Midwives: Manpower

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her policy is on the number of visits a pregnant woman should receive from a midwife before a home birth.

Ivan Lewis: In October 2003, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published guidance on antenatal care. It recommended that a schedule of antenatal appointments should be determined by the function of the appointments. For women at a low risk of complications, a schedule of seven to 10 appointments should be appropriate. For those women who have particular needs and those have difficulty in accessing services, such as the socially excluded, additional antenatal appointments will be necessary. This will in turn improve the outcomes for both the woman and child.

Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust: Rheumatology

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether rheumatology services in Morecambe Bay Hospitals Trust met the 18 week referral target in the last period for which figures are available.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is not available.
	Voluntary collection and reporting of referral to treatment (RTT) data to support the 18-week target has been under way since autumn 2006. Mandatory national RTT waiting time collection for admitted patients begins this month, and for non-admitted patients in April. Publication will begin as soon as the data are of sufficient quality. For admitted data this is likely to be in the spring; for non-admitted data in the summer.

MRSA

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of MRSA were reported at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006.

Ivan Lewis: The number of reports of meticillin resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia recorded at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals National Health Service Trust from April 2004 to September 2006 is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Reports of MRSA bacteraemia recorded at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  Time period  Number 
			 April to September 2004 24 
			 October 2004 to March 2005 23 
			 April to September 2005 23 
			 October 2005 to March 2006 16 
			 April to September 2006 26 
		
	
	Information on MRSA bacteraemia in individual hospitals is not published routinely, as it has only been collected at hospital level since October 2005. Prior to this date numbers of MRSA bacteraemia were recorded six-monthly by NHS acute trust only. The Department and the Health Protection Agency are currently considering the publication of the more detailed data, gained through the enhanced recording system.
	The NHS West Midlands strategic health authority reports that the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust is taking a number of measures to reduce MRSA incidence. These include investigating the possibility of setting up isolation wards and potentially introducing a staff testing policy with regard to MRSA. The trust also invited the Department's MRSA team to review their infection control procedures to see what lessons could be learned.

Myasthenia Gravis

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the prevalence of myasthenia gravis; what steps the Government is taking to support those who are diagnosed with the disease; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: I have made no estimate of the prevalence of myasthenia gravis.
	Patients with myasthenia gravis are able to access a range of national health service and social care services, which are tailored to meet their individual needs, to help them manage their condition. It is for primary care trusts, in consultation with other stakeholders, to determine which services, including those for people with myasthenia gravis, their local populations require and ensuring the appropriate provision of these services.
	The National Service Framework (NSF) for long-term conditions is supporting local sustained improvements in service quality for people with long-term neurological conditions, including myasthenia gravis. The NSF addresses a range of key issues including the need for equitable access to a range of services, good quality information and support for patients and carers, the ability to see a specialist and get the right investigations and diagnosis as quickly as possible.

National Blood Service

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the projected blood needs of the NHS are for the next five years; how much is expected to be received in donations over the next five years; and what funding is planned for the National Blood Service over the next five years.

Caroline Flint: The National Blood Service (NBS) reviews the demand for blood on a quarterly basis and looks at demand both in the short-term (next two years) and in the medium-term (four to five years).
	For next year, 2007-08, the NBS is working on the planning assumption that annual demand for red blood cells will be 1,855,000 units (which equates to 1,953,000 red cells collected). To put this into context, this year the predicted demand is 1,898,000. These forecasts are currently under review.
	Until 2010-11 the NBS is working on three demand figures (high, medium and low). These figures are being used for both financial and operational (capacity) purposes. The table shows demand and collection figures.
	
		
			   2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			  Demand
			 High 1,880,000 1,866,000 1,861,000 
			 Medium 1,809,000 1,795,000 1,791,000 
			 Low 1,709,000 1,647,000 1,602,000 
			 
			  Collections
			 High 1,979,000 1,964,000 1,959,000 
			 Medium 1,904,000 1,889,000 1,885,000 
			 Low 1,799,000 1,734,000 1,686,000 
			  Note: Data provided by the NBS. 
		
	
	The NBS primarily recovers its operating costs for blood by charging national health service trusts and other organisations for the supply of blood components, tissues and other services. These charges reflect the operating costs only, as volunteer donors freely donate all blood and tissues.

National Treatment Agency

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners sit on the board of the National Treatment Agency.

Caroline Flint: The National Treatment Agency currently has one qualified general practitioner sitting on its board.

Neonatal Care

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to include neonatal care in the payment by results tariff.

Andy Burnham: Most secondary care for neonates is already included in payment by results. However, neonatal intensive care is outside the scope of payment by results and subject to locally agreed arrangements. The range of services covered by payment by results is kept under review.

Netcare

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent assessment she has made of the health services provided by Netcare in the UK;
	(2)  what recent assessment she has made of  (a) Netcare's experience in delivering healthcare services and  (b) Netcare's procedures for monitoring patients' satisfaction with Netcare's delivery of healthcare services.

Andy Burnham: Private and voluntary health care providers are required to register with, and are inspected by, the Healthcare Commission. Providers are inspected against National Minimum Standards and Regulations for Independent Healthcare issued under the Care Standards Act 2000.
	Reports of the Healthcare Commission's inspections of private and voluntary sector providers are published on its website at:
	www.healthcarecommission.org.uk/homepage.cfm
	In addition to the Healthcare Commission's regular inspections all independent sector providers that provide services to national health service patients through the Department's independent sector treatment centre (ISTC) programme are required to comply with key performance indicators (KPIs), which are enforceable contractually. KPIs cover a range of clinical and non-clinical processes to ensure proper governance of patient care and the provision of health care. Providers also conduct patient satisfaction surveys of the patients they treat and Netcare's overall patient satisfaction is currently 97.8 per cent.
	As part of the ISTC procurement process bidders are invited to negotiate and meet specific criteria including clinical services, finance, work force, information management and technology, and contract management.

Netcare

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the implications of the proposals to award the clinical assessment, treatment and support contract in Lancashire to Netcare for NHS policy on the use of the independent sector in local health care provision.

Andy Burnham: Local primary care trusts are responsible for commissioning health services to meet the needs of their population, including the use of the independent sector providers. The six primary care trusts covering Cumbria and Lancashire are currently undertaking public consultation on the proposed clinical assessment, treatment and support (CATS) services for the region.

NHS Confederation: Finance

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding the Government provided to the NHS Confederation in each of the last 10 years.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 5 February 2007
	The information requested for years 2001-02 to date is recorded in the table as follows. Information before 2001-02 could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Supplier  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 to 5 February 2007 
			 NHS Confederation 299,685 60,420 759,741 1,864,666 202,268 4,544,980 
			 NHS Confederation project company 0 544,139 1,065,665 1,663,516 169,693 762 
			 NHS Confederation trading company 333 0 0 0 0 0 
			 The NHS Confederation trading 0 0 30,795 0 0 0 
			 NHS Confederation (employers) 0 0 0 2,763,803 15,168,260 13,657,398 
			 Total 300,018 604,559 1,856,201 6,291,985 15,540,221 18,203,140

NHS Finance

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the financial effect on the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust of funding being directed to private sector providers for clinical assessment treatment and support services and elective surgery.

Andy Burnham: The six primary care trusts (PCTs) in Cumbria and Lancashire are currently carrying out public consultation on the details of the local implementation of the clinical assessment, treatment and support (CATS) services in the two counties. The consultation covers the locations of the CATS sites, the impact on the wider health services, how the CATS can fit seamlessly into the pathway from general practitioner referrer through to local hospitals treatment, and whether the clinical specialties proposed (orthopaedics, rheumatology, ear, nose and throat, general surgery, urology and gynaecology) are the most appropriate. The PCTs are also undertaking a locality impact assessment of the CATS scheme on existing health service providers.

NHS Homeopathic Hospitals

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her policy is on the provision of homeopathic treatment by the four NHS homeopathic hospitals in England.

Caroline Flint: These hospitals fall under the jurisdiction of the part of the national health service in which they are based. Any decisions on the services these hospitals provide are therefore the responsibility of these NHS health care organisations. The Government consider that decision-making on individual clinical interventions, whether conventional, or complementary/alternative treatments, have to be a matter for local NHS service providers and practitioners as they are best placed to know their community's needs. In making such decisions, they have to take into account evidence for the safety, clinical and cost-effectiveness of any treatments, the availability of suitably qualified practitioners, and the needs of the individual patient.
	We expect primary care trusts to support innovative and entrepreneurial practices to redesign clinical pathways and secure services that are needed locally and that includes exploring opportunities to develop complementary and alternative health therapies.

NHS Service Delivery and Organisation Research and Development Programme

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account was taken of the NHS Service Delivery and Organisation Research and Development Programme briefing paper An assessment of the clinical effectiveness, cost and viability of NHS General Practitioners with Special Interest (GPSI) services of September 2006 when the decision was made to announce a shift of NHS care closer to patients, with particular reference to  (a) cost effectiveness,  (b) clinical outcomes and  (c) patient satisfaction.

Andy Burnham: None—this was precluded by the timing of publication. The commitment to offer more NHS services closer to people's homes was announced in the White Paper "Our Health, Our Care, Our Say" which was published in January 2006. Subsequently, in February 2006, we launched the "Care Closer to Home" demonstration project to support delivery of the White Paper commitment. The research paper was published some months later and we will take it into account in evaluating the demonstration project.

Obesity

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the rate of obesity was in  (a) children and  (b) adults in Essex in each of the last 10 years.

Caroline Flint: The main source of data for the prevalence of obesity among children and adults is the Health Survey for England. The information is not available in the format requested.
	The data on obesity prevalence among children are not available by the strategic health authority (SHA). However, data are available for the years 2002-04 combined for the east of England Government office region (GOR), which includes Essex SHA.
	The following table sets out the prevalence of obesity among children in the east of England, broken down by age, in 2002-04.
	
		
			 Prevalence of obesity among children in the east of England Government office region(GOR), by age, 2002-04(1) 
			  Age  Percentage of population 
			 2 to 10 13.4 
			 11 to 15 18.7 
			 2 to15 15.3 
		
	
	
		
			  Age  Bases (unweighted) 
			 2 to 10 743 
			 11 to 15 436 
			 2 to15 1,179 
		
	
	
		
			  Age  Bases (weighted) 
			 2 to 10 808 
			 11 to 15 462 
			 2 to15 1,271 
			 (1) Data are aggregated over the three years, 2002, 2003 and 2004 to achieve a sufficiently large sample size for analysis at this level.  Source: Health Survey for England 2002, the Department of Health. Health Survey for England 2003, The Department of Health. Health Survey for England 2004, The Information Centre. 
		
	
	The following table sets out the observed and age standardised figures for obesity prevalence in adults by Strategic Health Authority (Essex SHA) for the years 1994-96 to 2000-02, and observed values for 2002-04.
	
		
			  Proportion of adults who are obese (BMI over 30) in Essex SHA, by year, England, 1994-96 to 2002-04( 1,2) 
			   Percentage of population 
			   Observed  Age standardised 
			 1994-96 13.7 13.8 
			 1995-97 16.6 16.5 
			 1996-98 19.0 18.3 
			 1997-99 18.9 17.9 
			 1998-2000 20.2 19.4 
			 1999-2001 19.8 19.2 
			 2000-02 20.6 20.2 
			 2002-04(3) 20.9 — 
			 (1 )Data are aggregated over the three years, to achieve a sufficiently large sample size for analysis at this level. (2) Samples have not been weighted for non-response. (3) Age standardised figures not available for 2002-04.  Source: Health Survey for England: Health and Lifestyle indicators for Strategic Health Authorities 1994-2002, the Department of Health. Health Survey for England 2002, the Department of Health. Health Survey for England 2003, the Department of Health. Health Survey for England 2004, The Information Centre.

Paediatric Diabetes: Shropshire

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people under the age of 15 years were diagnosed with diabetes in  (a) the area served by Shropshire County Primary Care Trust and  (b) each constituency in Shropshire in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many paediatric diabetes specialist nurses were employed by Shropshire County Primary Care Trust in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Parliamentary Questions

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reply to Question 113834, tabled by the hon. Member for Cotswold on 5 January 2007.

Rosie Winterton: A reply was given on 23 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1740W.

Plutonium

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the Department calculates the maximum dose of Plutonium-239 provided for under article 13 of Council Directive 96/29/Euratom of 13 May 1996 laying down basic safety standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionising radiation.

Caroline Flint: Council Directive 96/29/Euratom does not provide values for minimum dose, rather it provides dose coefficients. Dose coefficients are given for inhalation and ingestion of Plutonium-239 by members of the public. These values were supplied to the European Union by National Radiological Protection Board staff (now the radiation protection division of the Health Protection Agency) working under the auspices of the International Commission for Radiological Protection (ICRP). The reference document is ICRP Publication 72: Age-dependent doses to members of the public from intakes of radionuclides: Part 5, compilation of ingestion and inhalation dose coefficients. Annals of the ICRP 26 (1). Pergamon, Oxford, UK.

Premature Birth

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health why the medical research expenditure on preventing premature birth figures of £3.7 million for 2004-05 reported to Parliament differed from the figure of £6 million subsequently reported to the BBC.

Caroline Flint: The information given in the written reply the former Minister for Delivery and Quality (Andy Burnham) gave the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) on 15 May 2006 was correct. I regret that the figure of £6 million contained in the statement the Department issued on 16 December in response to the Action Medical Research campaign for more funding for research into premature birth was incorrect. Officials have apologised to the charity for the unintentional error.

Resource Accounting

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2007,  Official Report, column 62W, on resource accounting, when she plans to look again at reversing the impact of past resource accounting and budgeting reductions on delivery of financial balance on 2006-07.

Andy Burnham: The implications of reversing the impact of past resource accounting and budgeting deductions are currently being reviewed. A decision on this issue will be announced once these considerations are complete.

Sexual Health

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress she is making towards the target announced in her Department's National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV of 27 July 2001  (a) that 60 per cent. of all genito-urinary medicine clinic attenders should take an HIV test and  (b) to reduce the number of newly acquired HIV infections by 25 per cent. by the end of 2007.

Caroline Flint: The targets announced in the sexual health and HIV strategy became national standards in 2002, in line with 'Shifting the Balance of Power' and the need to minimise the number of centrally determined targets. Genito-urinary medicine clinics achieved an uptake rate for HIV testing of 66 per cent. in 2004 and 70 per cent. in 2005, which exceeded the national standard.
	Newly acquired (incident) HIV infections in the United Kingdom occur primarily in gay and bisexual men. Incidence in this group is monitored through unlinked anonymous surveillance of those with previously undiagnosed HIV infection attending a sample of genito-urinary medicine clinics. This surveillance indicates that the level of new infections has been stable since 2001, when the incidence standard was set.

Sexual Health

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) targets have been set and  (b) budgets have been allocated for testing for sexually transmitted infections in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Sexual health is a higher priority now than it has ever been. It is one of the top six priorities for the NHS in 2006-07 and was a key feature of the Public Health White Paper "Choosing Health: Making healthy choices easier", copies of which are available in the Library.
	The "Choosing Health" White Paper introduced strengthened performance management for sexual health. In particular, NHS local delivery plan (LDP) targets have been introduced for:
	100 per cent. of patients attending a genito-urinary medicine (GUM) service to be offered an appointment to be seen within 48 hours of contacting a service, by March 2008;
	decrease in the rates of new diagnoses of gonorrhoea; and
	percentage of people aged 15 to 24 accepting chlamydia screening.
	We are making good progress on the GUM target, already 65 per cent. of patients are seen within 48 hours. This compares with 48 per cent. in August 2005.
	The number of new cases of gonorrhoea fell by 13 per cent. in 2005. This is particularly significant given the previous 10 per cent. fall in cases from 2003 to 2004, and with fewer cases reported across all English regions.
	The chlamydia LDP target will be introduced in 2007-08.
	Sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment is funded through general allocations and is not separately identified. In addition, primary care trusts (PCTs) received funding for implementing the targets in the White Paper "Choosing Health: making healthy choices easier". PCT revenue allocations separately identify funding to support the implementation of "Choosing Health". It is for PCTs to determine how to use the funding allocated to them to commission services to meet the healthcare needs of their local populations.

Sexual Health

Richard Shepherd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2007,  Official Report, column 2048W, on sexual health, how many girls  (a) under the age of 15 and  (b) aged 15 to 18 years (i) had abortions, (ii) gave birth and (iii) were diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections in Walsall Primary Care Trust area in each year between 1999 and 2005.

Caroline Flint: The available information is shown in the following tables.
	Figures are provided on number of conceptions leading to maternities and abortions for girls aged under 16 and girls aged under 18 from 1999 to 2004 (latest year for which figures are available) so that meaningful comparisons can be made on number of abortions and maternities that occur each year by age of woman. Conceptions data for girls aged under 15 and 15-18 are not readily available by primary care trust (PCT) and can be provided only at a disproportionate cost. In addition, figures for girls aged under 15 are likely to be very small at PCT level and hence would not be provided to preserve individuals' confidentiality.
	
		
			  Conceptions leading to maternities and abortions by age to residents of Walsall PCT, 1999-2004 
			   Conceptions leading to maternity  Conceptions leading to abortion  Total conceptions 
			  Girls aged under 16 year
			 1999 42 28 70 
			 2000 33 24 57 
			 2001 30 31 61 
			 2002 30 24 54 
			 2003 24 27 51 
			 2004 21 17 38 
			 
			  Girls aged under 18
			 1999 223 100 323 
			 2000 199 107 306 
			 2001 184 106 290 
			 2002 223 110 333 
			 2003 205 106 311 
			 2004 174 77 251 
		
	
	
		
			  Total diagnoses of selected sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in genitor-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics, amongst females aged under 20 years of age, Walsall teaching primary care trust, 1999-2005 
			   Females under 20 
			 1999 141 
			 2000 130 
			 2001 130 
			 2002 195 
			 2003 154 
			 2004 141 
			 2005 208 
			  Note: Selected STIs include: infectious syphilis, uncomplicated gonorrhoea, anogenital herpes simplex (first attack), anogenital warts (first attack) and uncomplicated chlamydial infection.  Source: Data in these tables are derived from statistical returns compiled at GUM clinics on the KC60 form (Health Protection Agency).

Small Change, Big Difference Campaign

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 702-03W, on the Small Change, Big Difference Campaign, if she will breakdown the overall expenditure on the campaign by initiative.

Caroline Flint: The costs for initiatives branded Small Change, Big Difference were for events held in London in April 2006 and in Nottingham in July 2006 which totalled £5,009 and £5,327 respectively. In addition, we spent £3,000 on activities supporting both of these events.

Smoking: Public Places

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions her Department has had with the European Commission on legislation to ban smoking in public places across the European Union.

Caroline Flint: No specific discussions have been held with the European Commission on European Union-wide legislation on secondhand smoke. On 30 January 2007, the European Commission published a Green Paper entitled "Towards a Europe free from tobacco smoke: policy options at EU level".
	England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be following the lead of Scotland in introducing comprehensive smokefree legislation in 2007. The Government welcome the publication of the Green Paper as an opportunity for all interested groups to contribute to thinking at an European level on smokefree public places and workplaces.

South Staffs Healthcare NHS Trust

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the budget was for South Staffordshire Healthcare NHS Trust for 2006-07;
	(2)  what the budget is for  (a) Good Hope Hospital and  (b) Sir Robert Peel Hospital in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not available centrally.
	The Department is able to take total income and net operating costs data from the organisations' audited accounts, which can be used as a proxy for budget. However, 2006-07 income figures will not be available until autumn 2007 and 2007-08 data will not be available until autumn of 2008.

Strategic Health Authorities

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will assess the merits of abolishing strategic health authorities; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: Following consultation that ended on 22 March 2006, the number of strategic health authorities (SHAs) reduced from 28 to 10 with effect from 1 July 2006. This new configuration will ensure the national health service is structurally able to deliver the next stage of health reforms.
	Taken alongside the reorganisation of primary care trusts (PCTs), these changes will:
	strengthen the architecture of the local NHS;
	save money by streamlining management and administration to provide better value for money so greater resources can be dedicated to patient care. This is another step towards creating an NHS which is patient-led; and
	cut out unnecessary bureaucracy by bringing together administration services and reducing the duplication of administration, human resource functions, accounts and hospital contract negotiation teams.
	The new configuration of SHAs means they are better placed to oversee and support the development of more strategic PCTs and the move towards more NHS foundation trusts. In addition, through almost complete co-terminosity with Government Office of the Regions' boundaries, joint working between health and local government agencies will be improved significantly.

Street Markets

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps the Department is taking to support and develop the role of local street markets in helping deliver its healthy eating policy;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the potential role of local street markets in the Government's healthy eating strategy.

Caroline Flint: The extent of evidence on the effectiveness of local street markets in the Government's healthy eating strategy is limited. Anecdotal information, where mobile units have been set up, suggests that they do have merit in deprived areas with low retail density.
	To improve people's access to and raise awareness of fruit and vegetables, the Department has provided funding for community food initiatives in all primary care trusts (PCTs) from April 2006 as part of the 'Choosing Health' allocation to PCTs. These community initiatives followed on from the 66 Lottery-funded 5-A-day pilot initiatives. By working in different settings, including local street markets, these initiatives aim to make it easier for people to eat more fruit and vegetables and achieve their five portions a day.

Strokes

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were reported to have had a stroke and received treatment from the NHS in each  (a) strategic health authority and  (b) primary care trust in (i) 2003, (ii) 2004, (iii) 2005 and (iv) 2006.

Rosie Winterton: The available information has been placed in the Library.

Tobacco Packs

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the outcome was of her consultation on the use of picture health warnings on tobacco packs.

Caroline Flint: The Department has received over 450 formal responses to the consultation on the introduction of picture warnings on tobacco packs. In addition, over 20,000 completed responses were logged on the website:
	www.packwarnings.nhs.uk
	The majority of responses were in favour of the introduction of picture warnings.
	The Department is currently finalising the detail of proposals to introduce picture warnings on tobacco packs. A full report on the consultation will be published alongside the final proposals.

Turnaround Teams

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason information on the amount her Department is funding for turnaround teams is no longer commercial in confidence; how much her Department  (a) spent on turnaround teams in 2005-06 and  (b) expects to spend on such teams in 2006-07; what estimate she has made of the total costs of turnaround support which needs to be met by individual NHS organisations; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The information is no longer commercial in confidence as contracts are now in place and releasing this information does not jeopardise the tender process. Any new negotiating exercise would not be impacted by these contracts.
	The Department will spend in 2005-06 and 2006-07 about £11 million on the turnaround programme at a national and strategic health authority (SHA) level covering local baseline assessments, a national programme office, one-off local support payments and SHA turnaround directors.
	The local costs of £22.1 million for turnaround support were published in "Public Expenditure on Health and Personal Social Services 2006"—section 5.9, which is available at:
	www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmhealth/1692-i/1692-i.pdf
	For category one and two organisations (as at May 2006), the estimated expenditure for external support on turnaround between January and March 2006 was £4,769,000. The projected costs for turnaround for the financial year 2006-07 is estimated to be £15,830,000. These costs include the Department's contributions of £93,000 towards the cost of the first three months of turnaround support for the category one organisations.
	For category three and four organisations (as at June 2006), the estimated expenditure for external support on turnaround between January and March 2006 was £173,000. The projected costs for turnaround for the financial year 2006-07 is estimated to be £1,306,000.

Volatile Substance Abuse Stakeholders Meeting

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the outcome was of the Volatile Substance Abuse Stakeholders meeting on the research conducted by St. Georges University of London, referred to in her Answer of 25 October 2006,  Official Report, column 1976W, on volatile substance abuse; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Volatile Substance Abuse (VSA) stakeholder group were informed at their meeting in December 2006 that the Department intended to renew its contract with St. George's Hospital Medical School regarding the annual report on deaths associated with VSA. The new contract was signed on 20 December 2006.

Waiting Times

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the capacity of the NHS in  (a) Cumbria and  (b) Lancashire to meet the planned target of 18 weeks from referral to treatment by December 2008.

Andy Burnham: By December 2008, patients on consultant pathways can expect a maximum wait of 18 weeks from general practitioner referral to the start of medical or consultant led treatment. It is the responsibility of strategic health authorities to assess local programmes and determine local capacities to meet the delivery of this milestone.

West Hertfordshire NHS Trust

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects West Hertfordshire NHS Trust to have no financial deficit.

Andy Burnham: Every national health service trust has a duty to achieve financial balance. West Hertfordshire NHS Trust is being supported by NHS East of England as well as a turnaround director as they implement their financial recovery plan to restore in-year balance.
	
		
			  West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  (£000) 
			 2005-06 annual accounts surplus (deficit) (26,785) 
			 2006-07 month three forecast outturn surplus (deficit) (18,000) 
			 2006-07 month six forecast outturn surplus (deficit) (11,500)

West Hertfordshire NHS Trust

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what level of interest was paid on pre-existing debt by West Hertfordshire NHS Trust in each financial year since 1997.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is not available. Before 2006-07 brokerage was in place. From 2006-07, cash support to national health service trusts will be provided by interest bearing loans and deposits issued by the Department.
	All long-term loans will attract interest at a rate equivalent to the National Loans Fund rate at the date the loan is advanced. The interest rate is determined by reference to the prevailing rate at the date the loan is drawn, as notified on the Public Works Loan Board website.
	Loans requested by NHS trusts in 2006-07 are currently undergoing a review process and the interest rate cannot be determined prior to approval and formal letting of the loan.
	NHS East of England has advised that they are not aware of any interest being paid by West Hertfordshire NHS Trust on pre-existing debts.

Westmorland General Hospital

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there are plans to place a clinical assessment treatment and support services centre at the Westmorland General hospital in Kendal.

Andy Burnham: There are no plans to place a clinical assessment, treatment and support services centre at Westmorland General hospital in Kendal.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will clarify his Answer to the hon. Member for North Devon to Question 98013 of 6 November 2006,  Official Report, column 902W, on Afghanistan.

Hilary Benn: DFID had stated that it commissioned the King's Fund to conduct a review of the UK's involvement in provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan. This was wrong; the answer should have read "King's College" rather than "King's Fund".

Afghanistan: Microfinance

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department has committed to microfinance in Afghanistan.

Hilary Benn: Since March 2004, DFID has provided £15 million to microfinance in Afghanistan. DFID has committed a further £5 million for 2007-08. In addition, £8 million over three years has been specifically allocated for microfinance in the Helmand Province.

Afghanistan: Microfinance

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of microfinance projects in Afghanistan.

Hilary Benn: An interim review of the microfinance sector was carried out between June and August of 2006. The review was commissioned by the Government of Afghanistan, microfinance donors, and the Microfinance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan (MISFA) management to assess the current status of the Afghan microfinance sector and MISFA's role in developing it.
	The review found that the Afghanistan Government's MISFA has made significant progress in helping Afghans to invest in income generating activities. Rapidly increasing the number of people receiving loans over a short period has been successful in helping to build the microfinance sector. Nearly 75 per cent. of those receiving loans are women. So far, over £83 million worth of small loans have been given to 234,000 families, shopkeepers, tailors, farmers, builders and others to invest and increase their savings. The review suggested that with continued support and an enabling environment, there is potential for many microfinance institutions (MFIs) to become financially sustainable over the next three years. To date, the role of the MISFA to support the sector has been successful, and justifies a clear need for its continuation to channel funds to the MFIs to improve their capacity, outreach and sustainability. The MISFA's design and implementation can serve as a good example for building microfinance sector in conflict affected countries.
	A further review has been commissioned to look at the impact of microfinance on increasing legal livelihoods in opium poppy cultivating areas. The final report will be placed in the Library.

Africa: EC Aid

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact on poverty reduction and development of economic partnership agreements between the European Union and African states; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The UK Government believe that the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) currently being negotiated between the European Commission and six regional groupings of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries can, if well-designed, promote long-term development, economic growth and poverty reduction in ACP countries, including in Africa. The Government's position paper of March 2005 set out our view of an EPA designed to deliver benefits to ACP countries. It should provide duty and quota-free access into EU markets and simpler and more liberal rules of origin to ensure effective market access. It should allow ACP countries maximum flexibility as regards their own market opening and an effective safeguard mechanism for countries to use in the face of subsidised EU products. ACP regional groups should also be able to decide on the scope of the EPA they negotiate, and whether it includes rules on investment, competition and Government procurement.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department provides to Burmese refugees in  (a) China,  (b) Malaysia,  (c) Bangladesh,  (d) India and  (e) Laos.

Gareth Thomas: DFID does not provide any direct assistance to Burmese refugees in China, Malaysia or Laos; assistance to Burmese refugees in these countries is provided by the European Commission (EC) and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), to which the UK contributes. In India, although DFID does not provide assistance to Burmese refugees directly, DFID supports the Government of India to provide health and education services through a number of centrally-sponsored schemes. These programmes are designed to target some of the poorest and most marginalised groups in India, including in the north-eastern states. In Bangladesh, although DFID does not provide assistance to Burmese refugees, such support is provided by development partners including the EC, the UNHCR and the Dutch, as well as a number of small non-governmental organisations.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what public consultations his Department has held in Burma on implementation of the 3D fund.

Gareth Thomas: The donors supporting the 3D Fund have carried out wide-ranging consultations on the 3D Fund. This has included discussions with the National League for Democracy (NLD) and other political groups; discussions with representatives of the ethnic-minorities; discussions with the Ministry of Health and other Government Ministries; discussions with the UN and international NGOs; and discussions with civil society.
	On 9 June 2006 the donors held a public meeting in Rangoon to discuss the proposed 3D Fund. The meeting was attended by around 100 representatives from local civil society organisations and provided an opportunity for them to ask questions about the proposed fund and to make suggestions about Fund design. Following the establishment of the 3D Fund, the donors and fund manager have held further meetings with international and local NGOs to discuss fund implementation. Ensuring transparency of 3D Fund activities and ongoing discussions about these with implementing partners will continue to be a priority for the donors.

Departments: Advertising

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2007,  Official Report, column 740W, on advertising, how much of that spending was spent on  (a) sponsoring supplements and  (b) advertorials; and what the topic of each (i) advertorial and (ii) supplement was.

Gareth Thomas: Details of the spending on  (a) Supplements and  (b) Advertorials and the topics are as follows:
	
		
			   Topic  Cost (£) 
			  (a) Supplement Eliminating World Poverty—a summary of the UK Government's 2006 White Paper on International Development, setting out an action plan for the next five years. 10,714 
			  (b) Advertorials Reporting the progress made one year after the G8 summit, which in 2005 set out the key objectives of promoting development to end extreme poverty, with a special focus on Africa and responding to climate change. 62,275

Departments: Equal Opportunities

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to implement the gender equality duty due to come into force on 6 April 2007.

Gareth Thomas: Gender is an integral part of DFID's core business to eliminate poverty overseas. The third Millennium Development Goal (MDG) specifically promotes gender equality and women's empowerment and evidence shows that gender equality is also key to the achievement of the other MDGs.
	In line with the commitment in the Government's recent White Paper (July 2006) to give greater priority to gender equality DFID carried out an evaluation of how effective the Department has been at achieving gender equality and women's empowerment. This led to the development of a three year Gender Equality Action Plan.
	The Department are also taking the following steps to meet our specific legal responsibilities under the Gender Equality Duty.
	The Department has launched a consultation with staff and policy heads, to review UK based functions and activities to develop our gender equality scheme ahead of the end of April 2007 deadline.
	DFID's Human Resources Division is updating gender monitoring data on our employment functions and will use this evidence to promote equality as necessary. We are now identifying other activities for which we will collect more data on gender outcomes, such as the uptake of DFID's proposed volunteering scheme and the use of the Development Awareness Fund.
	A network of gender champions has been established across the Department, consisting of senior civil servants, who are responsible for promoting equality and ensuring the Department's action plans are implemented.

Departments: Equal Opportunities

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take to ensure that it and related bodies are in compliance with the gender equality duty in the Equality Act 2006 by the April 2007 deadline.

Gareth Thomas: Gender is an integral part of DFID's core business to eliminate poverty overseas. The third Millennium Development Goal specifically promotes gender equality and women's empowerment and evidence shows that gender equality is also key to the achievement of the other MDGs.
	In line with the commitment in this Government's recent White Paper (July 2006) to give greater priority to gender equality DFID carried out an evaluation of how effective the Department has been at achieving gender equality and women's empowerment. This led to the development of a three year Gender Equality Action Plan.
	The Department are also taking the following steps to meet our specific legal responsibilities under the Gender Equality Duty.
	The Department has launched a consultation with staff and policy heads, to review UK based functions and activities to develop our gender equality scheme ahead of the end of April 2007 deadline.
	DFID's Human Resources Division is updating gender monitoring data on our employment functions and will use this evidence to promote equality as necessary. We are now identifying other service areas where we will collect more data on outcomes, such as the uptake of DFID's proposed volunteering scheme and the use of the Development Awareness Fund.
	A network of gender champions has been established across the Department, consisting of senior civil servants, who are responsible for promoting equality and ensuring the Department's action plans are implemented.

Departments: Freedom of Information

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on how many occasions special advisers have been consulted in replying to Freedom of Information requests to his Department; and what his Department's policy is on the role of special advisers in the answering of Freedom of Information requests.

Hilary Benn: The Department for International Development does not keep such records. Special advisers carry out their duties in accordance with the requirements of the "Code of Conduct for Special Advisers".

Departments: Furniture

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many items of furniture were  (a) lost and  (b) stolen from his Department in each year since 1997; and what the value was of those items in each year.

Gareth Thomas: No items of furniture have been reported as lost or stolen since 1997.

Developing Countries: Water

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to improve the capacity of public sector utilities in developing countries to deliver clean and safe water.

Hilary Benn: Since most water and sanitation services are provided by the public sector, public utilities are critical to achieving the water and sanitation MDG targets. DFID supports several international programmes that aim to strengthen public operators.
	DFID supports the International Benchmarking Network for Water and Sanitation Utilities (IBNET), an international network managed by the World Bank, that increases the transparency of utility performance and monitors their efficiency. Since 2002 DFID has provided £1,055,000 in funding to IBNET. DFID has also funded Building Partnerships for Development (BPD), an informal network that demonstrates, through research, how public, private and civil society partnerships in the water sector can work effectively at the local level. The research is then used to promote further partnerships which help to increase the capacity of local level operators to increase service. DFID supported BPD with £400,000 from 2002-06.
	Sustainable improvements in utilities often require political and institutional changes, not simply improved hardware or technical skills. Ensuring that everyone, including the poorest and most marginalised, is served requires governments that are capable, responsive and accountable to poor people—ie good governance. In most, if not all, cases where we provide Poverty Reduction Budget Support (PRBS) it is accompanied by support for governance reforms, particularly improved public sector financial management. Where we support sector programmes (as in Ghana or Sierra Leone) support for utility reform is usually a significant component.
	Finding better ways to strengthen public utilities is a high priority for DFID. We are looking both at how we can provide further support to programmes that are working successfully and at identifying new partnership that can make a difference.

Iraq

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of levels of unemployment in Iraq in each year from 1995 to 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Reliable data are difficult to obtain. Variations are due to differences in the definition of unemployment as well as the lack of a single, official data source.
	An International Labour Organisation (ILO) mission to Iraq in April/May 2000, estimated the unemployment rate as 50-60 per cent. The ILO, which is mandated to provide international definitions of employment, only considers as unemployed, those individuals who are actively seeking work but have not been successful in finding one hour's work in one week. The United Nations and World Bank social and economic needs assessments (carried out after the conflict in 2003) estimated that the unemployment rate before the 2003 war had been around 30 per cent.
	The most recent reliable unemployment data available for Iraq comes from the Iraq Living Conditions Survey carried out in 2004 by the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation/United Nations Development Programme. There is no other more recent comparable survey. The 2004 survey found that the core unemployment rate in Iraq was just over 10 per cent. (using the ILO definition).
	In 2004, Iraq had a working age population of 16.4 million, but only 6.7 million (41 per cent.) were working or actively seeking work. 6 million of these were employed, leaving 700,000 (around 10 per cent.) unemployed. The majority of the 9.7 million people considered "economically inactive" (ie above 15 years but neither working nor actively seeking work) were women, who are significantly less likely to engage in paid employment than men (this is common to the region). In addition, young men constitute 15 per cent. of the economically inactive. The majority of young economically inactive men (68 per cent.) say they are studying and thus not available to work. 20 per cent. claim to be "discouraged workers" (ie believe that there are no jobs available and have therefore given up looking for work).

Iraq

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent progress has been made in meeting the millennium development goals in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Achievement of the millennium development goals (MDGs) in Iraq depends crucially on achieving an end to violence. Worsening violence not only hampers progress towards the goals but also makes them difficult to measure. Ending the violence—and rebuilding Iraq's economy and public services—is dependent on action from the Iraqi government itself. DFID is supporting these efforts by providing expert advice on reconciliation, economic reform and governance.
	 Progress against the MDGs
	Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger—Poverty in Iraq was not measured under the regime of Saddam Hussein, and World Bank data on income and expenditure will not be available until 2008. We do, however, know that global malnutrition is roughly at the same level as in the early 1990s (after rising to much higher levels in the late 1990s).
	Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education—Net enrolment in primary schools has not yet returned to the levels of 1991, after severe deterioration during the 1990s.
	Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women—The gender ratio among primary and secondary students has not improved, and the proportion of women in parliament has decreased since the early 1990s.
	Goals 4-6: Reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, and combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases—Because child mortality increased dramatically at the end of the 1990s, substantial improvements are now required if Iraqi is to meet this goal. Maternal mortality is believed to have increased in recent years. There are no data on HIV prevalence in Iraq, but levels are thought to be very low. Malaria is not a significant public health problem. TB rates are thought to be stable.
	Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability—Access to safe drinking water did not improve between 1990 and 2004. There are no nationally representative data on trends in improved sanitation coverage. UNICEF is expected to provide updated estimates later this year.
	Significant investment in delivery of basic services is required to improve Iraq's performance against the MDGs. Iraq has the resources to fund much of this work itself (with estimated revenues for 2007 of $37.6 billion), but DFID support will help the government to plan and deliver investment in basic services, improve oil production levels, generate jobs and manage its own resources more effectively. DFID has already provided expert support to key Iraqi government ministries such as the Iraqi Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the World Bank and USAID, to mitigate the impact of economic reform on the poorest. DFID has also channelled £70 million of funds through the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI) which has supported back-to-school campaigns, constructed 134 new schools, supplied 79 million new textbooks, rehabilitated 209 primary health centres (PHCs), added seven new mental health units, supported country-wide immunisation programmes, and supplied emergency medical drugs and supplies.
	On gender, DFID's Civil Society Fund has worked with women's civil society organisations to help them to engage more effectively with national decision-makers on key issues. And to improve water and sanitation facilities, DFID is funding repairs to water infrastructure in southern Iraq, which will double the volume of water supplied to around 100,000 homes in one of Basra's poorest areas, and boost the supply of drinking water for around half a million people. By late 2007, DFID projects will have improved access to water for around a million people in southern Iraq.

Iraq

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Emergency Public Administration Reform Programme in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The Emergency Public Administration Programme (EPAP) ended in July 2005 and its impact was assessed in September 2005. DFID judged that it fulfilled its initial objective: to help the Iraq government set up key institutions at the centre of government. These included the Prime Minister's Office, the Council of Ministers Secretariat, and the Government Communications Directorate. The team of technical experts advised the Iraqi government on institutional structures and staff roles and responsibilities. They also provided targeted training to help key staff manage the machinery at the heart of government.
	At the same time, the programme also provided vital economic policy advice to the Ministry of Finance during a period when the international financial institutions had no formal presence in Baghdad. This focused on preparing the budget and also provided the government of Iraq with technical advice to help then negotiate an Emergency Post-Conflict Arrangement (EPCA) with the International Monetary Fund.
	In late 2005, we launched a follow on programme to provide training and advice to the three central government institutions. Our 2006 assessment of the support to the centre of government project showed that despite changes in Government personnel, the project has met its objectives. The organisational structures set up under the Iraqi interim government were successfully built upon when Prime Minister Maliki took office in May 2006. In an environment beset by political and security challenges, efforts to build institutional capacity take time; now staff are more effectively trained and able to develop policy. We expect to continue our support to these institutions during the course of 2007, to consolidate the gains made in public sector management practices at the heart of government.

Iraq

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's Political Participation Fund in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: DFID last reviewed the Political Participation Fund (PPF) in July 2005 and is currently conducting a comprehensive project completion review. The aim of the PPF was to increase the participation of poor and marginalised Iraqis in the political process as the country underwent a major transition to a democratic political system.
	Throughout 2005 and 2006, the PPF funded a range of Iraqi NGOs who have run a series of outreach activities. Grants of £5,000 to £300,000 were made to organisations for activities such as workshops to educate voters and written pamphlets to explain the functions and responsibilities of different parts of government. They also organised a series of public television debates with prominent Iraqi politicians.
	Activities were timed to coincide with the two national elections in January and December 2005, as well as the national referendum on the new Iraqi constitution in October 2005. The UN reported that voter turnout increased from 60 per cent. to 70 per cent. between the two elections, including increased participation in poor localities and in Sunni areas.
	The review also showed that the project successfully built the capacity of 25 Iraqi civil society organisations ranging from neighbourhood women's groups, media associations, and union organisations. Each civil society organisation received training in project development and management. Following this support, a number of the organisations have been identified by UN agencies as potential partners for future work.

Iraq: Hospitals

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) local healthcare clinics and  (b) hospitals there were in Iraq in each year between 1995 and 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The World Bank report that there are currently 330 hospitals and 900 health clinics in Iraq. We do not have a yearly breakdown since 1995.
	There has been some progress since 2003, with more than 1,000 healthcare facilities rehabilitated or equipped, and more than 6,000 health workers trained, but there is a very long way to go. The UN and the World Bank trust funds, to which the UK has contributed £70 million, are spending over $120m to repair hospitals and train staff. The UN has rehabilitated/constructed 209 primary health centres (PHCs) and the World Bank is in the process of improving access to emergency services in 11 hospitals and providing basic medical and laboratory equipment and essential drugs to 12 hospitals. DFID has also supported the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement, who continue to supply life-saving medical support in Iraq.

Iraq: International Assistance

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) emergency health kits,  (b) surgical kits and  (c) additional health kits procured by the World Health Organisation in Iraq using British aid funding in each year since 2003.

Hilary Benn: In 2003, we contributed £6 million to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) appeal to provide rapid reinvigoration of an effective Iraqi health system. The WHO had a number of key objectives in implementing the WHO Jump Start Programme, which was designed to reinforce the Ministry of Health's ability to provide health services and to address the immediate health priorities during the humanitarian and reconstruction process. In addition, DFID has contributed £70 million to the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI), of which £30 million was used by the UN Trust Fund to provide funding to UN agencies, including the WHO's core programmes.
	By March 2003, medical kits containing supplies for basic health care to cover half a million people for three months were available inside Iraq, in addition to the supplies in Government warehouses estimated to be the equivalent of three months of normal consumption. WHO also pre-positioned emergency health kits in neighbouring countries that could support primary health care for 240,000 people for three months. We are unable to provide the actual number of medical kits that were supplied with DFID funding. Since 2003, the WHO has provided consistent support to the Iraqi Ministry of Health (MOH). They have conducted many vital activities, such as rehabilitating key institutions, providing capacity building for MOH staff, together with giving high-level policy support and providing key disease surveillance assistance.

Iraq: International Assistance

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the outcome has been of spending by his Department in Iraq since the invasion in  (a) education,  (b) water and sanitation,  (c) healthcare and  (d) the microfinance sector; and if he will make statement.

Hilary Benn: The UK has pledged £644 million for development and reconstruction in Iraq since March 2003. This includes over £120 million in humanitarian assistance to provide for immediate basic needs, a £70 million contribution to United Nations and World Bank trust funds which carry out work on education and health, and £100 million for reconstruction in southern Iraq.
	In water and sanitation, DFID emergency infrastructure repairs in 2003 increased water supply by up to 30 per cent. in some governorates in southern Iraq. We have replaced 200 kilometres of water mains in southern Iraq and repaired more than 5,000 leaks. Furthermore, we constructed a Water Training Centre in Basra to help Iraqi engineers to build the skills needed to maintain their infrastructure. We are also repairing a water plant which will supply drinking water to approximately half a million people in Basra. By summer 2007, we expect to have finished a £7 million project to construct three water towers to provide tap water for a further 500,000 people. These projects have generated thousands of workdays for local people.
	In education and health, DFID has channelled most of its assistance through financial contributions to international organisations and through the UN and World Bank trust funds. In education, over 5,000 schools have been rehabilitated; more than 100,000 primary and 40,000 secondary schools teachers have been trained; and over 70 million new textbooks distributed. In healthcare, over five million children have received life- saving vaccinations. More than 1,000 healthcare facilities have been rehabilitated or equipped, and more than 6,000 health workers trained. Through extensive disease control programmes, the prevalence of Leishmaniasis, measles, malaria and polio has declined.
	The US, with support from DFID, has supported microfinance initiatives. Two institutions, operating across Iraq, have made US$78 million worth of loans to over 40,000 clients.

Iraq: International Assistance

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans his Department had for  (a) water and sanitation projects and  (b) electrification projects in Iraq prior to the invasion.

Hilary Benn: Prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, DFID's objective was to ensure that there was sufficient preparation to avert a major humanitarian crisis during, and immediately after, the conflict. Part of this strategy was to facilitate the rapid restoration of essential services such as healthcare, power, and water and sanitation.
	In 2003, DFID's emergency support was provided through financial contributions to the following United Nations agencies:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 World Food Programme 33 
			 UNICEF 16 
			 UNDP 12 
			 World Health Organisation 6 
			 UN Mine Action Scheme 4 
			 UN High Commissioner for Refugees 1.75 
			 Food and Agriculture Organisation 1.5 
		
	
	We also provided £18 million to International Red Cross, and £4 million to a number of non-governmental organisations. These organisations all had experience of working in Iraq, and thus had well-established local networks and a capacity to quickly deliver assistance on the ground. They moved into Iraq soon after the major conflict ended and rapidly set up effective humanitarian operations.
	Maintaining clean water supplies and effective sewage systems was a high priority. DFID's contribution to UNICEF helped repair water and sanitation facilities, and where necessary, supplied water by tanker while supplies were disrupted. Sewage removal in Baghdad was a major issue and given high priority by the coalition provisional authority. Similarly, with funding from DFID, UNDP bought essential equipment for hospitals and a water purification plant, and repaired water-pumping stations.
	To improve the supply of electricity immediately after the conflict, UNDP undertook technical assessments of the problems and followed up with emergency repairs. The projects UNDP completed include essential repairs to overhead transmission lines and power generation plants to maintain Iraq's national electricity grid. It also repaired electricity substations and bought tools so that Iraqi engineers could maintain them.

Iraq: Schools

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) primary schools,  (b) secondary schools and  (c) higher education institutions there were in Iraq in each year between 1995 and 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: There are approximately 6 million Iraqi children enrolled in 19,000 primary and secondary schools. The following table, provided by the World Bank, is based on statistics obtained by UNESCO for a situation analysis of education in Iraq and the Iraqi Ministry of Education:
	
		
			   Primary schools  Secondary schools 
			 1995-96 10,665 3,047 
			 1996-97 10,908 3,113 
			 1997-98 11,027 3,325 
			 1998-99 11,126 3,466 
			 1999-2000 11,373 3,614 
			 2000-01 11,709 3,809 
			 2001-02 12,398 3,963 
			 2002-03 13,087 4,116 
			 2003-04 13,776 4,270 
			 2004-05 14,366 4,332 
			 2005-06 14,856 4,643 
		
	
	A range of international agencies have been involved in constructing and rehabilitating schools since May 2003, with the United States as the major bilateral partner and the United Nations and World Bank providing support mainly through the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI). DFID has contributed £70 million to IRFFI. Current plans are for 6,400 schools to be rehabilitated or constructed. 5,100 have already been completed.
	Iraq's current higher education system comprises 20 universities and 47 technical institutes under the management of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MHESR). This includes 200 colleges, 800 departments, and 28 research centres. There are in addition 10 private colleges offering programmes in computer sciences, business administration, economics and management. The latest UNESCO survey of 2004 found a total student enrolment of 251,175, 42 per cent. of whom are women. Almost 50 per cent. of the students are enrolled at the five universities in Baghdad. Two universities have less than 2,000 students while Baghdad University enrols two thirds of all students.

Latin America

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff from his Department were based in each Latin American country in each of the last three years; and how many are expected to be based in each country in each of the next three years.

Gareth Thomas: The following table indicates the number of staff based in each Latin America country in the last three years and the current financial year:
	
		
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Bolivia 15 11 9 8 
			 Brazil 27 15 7 7 
			 Honduras 5 7 — — 
			 Nicaragua 15 16 13 13 
			 Peru 8 7 — — 
		
	
	DFID plans to maintain its current levels of staffing during 2007-08. Any decisions about staffing levels beyond 2007-08 in Latin America and elsewhere will be taken in the context of the comprehensive spending review.

Latin America: Overseas Aid

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding has been provided by his Department to each Latin American country in each of the last three financial years; and what funding is planned in each of the next three financial years.

Gareth Thomas: DFID aid for Latin America since 2003-04 is shown in the following table and includes direct bilateral aid, as well as support though NGOs.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Destination name  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Argentine Republic — — — 
			 Bolivia 7,056,854 5,401,807 3,103,179 
			 Brazil 6,910,154 5,027,700 2,387,322 
			 Chile 351,152 436,715 790,121 
			 Colombia 350,886 541,016 381,918 
			 Costa Rica 121,541 17,057 5,957 
			 Cuba 153,626 184,296 -10,044 
			 Ecuador 192,595 158,797 217,204 
			 El Salvador 106,956 74,627 5,493 
			 Guatemala 236,938 196,060 85,483 
			 Haiti 129,747 2,027,103 1,282,616 
			 Honduras 910,066 959,736 1,301,741 
			 Mexico 70,791 96,871 12,186 
			 Nicaragua 1,292,542 2,592,966 4,160,450 
			 Panama — — — 
			 Paraguay — 4,860 2,772 
			 Peru 2,807,442 3,990,316 1,603,963 
			 Venezuela — — — 
			 Total 20,691,292 21,709,927 15,330,360 
		
	
	This information, as well as details of aid from other UK official sources, is available in Table 12.2 of the Statistics for International Development (SID) report which SID can be accessed under the publications section of the DFID website.
	In addition to bilateral aid, the UK makes contributions to the EC, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. Multilateral shares are reported by calendar year, and the latest information available is for 2004.
	A breakdown of the UK's contributions by country since 2003 is given as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2003  2004 
			 Costa Rica 0.3 0.9 
			 Cuba 0.5 0.7 
			 El Salvador 2.5 2.4 
			 Guatemala 2.5 2.7 
			 Haiti 1.0 4.8 
			 Honduras 10.4 6.9 
			 Mexico 1.0 1.9 
			 Nicaragua 12.5 8.0 
			 Panama 0.3 0.9 
			 Argentine Republic 0.6 1.0 
			 Bolivia 14.4 5.6 
			 Brazil 6.8 6.1 
			 Chile 0.8 1.8 
			 Columbia 2.5 4.6 
			 Ecuador 1.3 1.8 
			 Paraguay 0.4 0.6 
			 Peru 3.5 2.2 
			 Uruguay 0.4 1.1 
			 Venezuela 1.0 1.5 
			 Total 62.7 55.5 
		
	
	Since April 2006, DFID's only bilateral programme in Latin America is to Nicaragua—the only low-income country on the continent. The programme budget for Nicaragua is £4 million in each of 2006-07 and 2007-08. In addition, DFID currently has plans to allocate £8 million in 2006-07 and 2007-08 to the Latin America regional programme. Decisions about funding allocations to Latin America countries from 2008-09 will be taken in the context of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Liberia

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps during the Liberia donor conference in February  (a) to help Liberia maintain its provision of free healthcare and  (b) to support the strengthening of health systems in that country.

Hilary Benn: DFID officials will attend the Liberia Partners' Forum in Washington this month, including a specific health sector meeting, where maintenance of the provision of free health care will be one of the key issues.
	DFID strongly supports the provision of free basic health care in Liberia. In this critical period, as Liberia begins the transition from humanitarian relief to post conflict reconstruction and development, it is essential that free health care is provided within the context of wider Government-led health sector reform, clear national priorities and overall strengthening of national health services. This includes sustainable and predictable financing, building human resources for health, sound procurement and supply chains, and institutional reforms. DFID has been supporting the development of a national health policy and national health plan which will focus and articulate critical issues in the sector.
	DFID is planning support of £3-4 million pa to the health sector in Liberia. We will continue to support humanitarian NGOs working in direct health service delivery until December 2008, ensuring that urgent gaps are filled, with additional emphasis on local level capacity building. In tandem with this, capacity and system strengthening is a priority. DFID is supporting the Ministry of Health (MOH) with the establishment of appropriate financial and human resource management procedures covering fiscal policy, systems, activities, staffing and equipment with the goal of creating accountability as well as associated improvements in capacity. DFID will also provide support for rolling out the transitional implementation plan, articulating costed priorities including sequenced targets for MOH resumption of some health care responsibilities including secondary healthcare in Monrovia, payroll, drug supply and incentives for health workers. DFID is planning assistance with the design of a multi-donor pooled fund to help support the MOH budget for this work.

Liberia: Overseas Aid

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he plans to take during the donor conference for Liberia in February to  (a) help Liberia maintain its provision of free healthcare and  (b) support the strengthening of health systems in Liberia.

Hilary Benn: DFID officials will attend the Liberia Partners' Forum in Washington this month, including a meeting on health, where maintenance of free health care will be one of the key issues.
	DFID strongly supports the provision of free basic health care in Liberia. In this critical period, as Liberia begins the transition from humanitarian relief to post conflict reconstruction and development, it is essential that free health care is provided within the context of wider Government-led health sector reform, clear national priorities and strengthening of national health services. This includes sustainable and predictable financing, building human resources for health, sound procurement and supply chains, and institutional reform. DFID has been supporting the development of a National Health Policy and National Health Plan.
	DFID is planning support of £3-4 million per annum to the health sector in Liberia. We will continue to support humanitarian NGOs working in direct health service delivery until December 2008, ensuring that urgent gaps are filled, with additional emphasis on local level capacity building. DFID is also supporting the Ministry of Health (MoH) with the establishment of appropriate financial and human resource management procedures covering fiscal policy, systems, activities, staffing and equipment. DFID will also provide support for the transitional implementation plan, which will help the MoH to resume some health care responsibilities including secondary healthcare in Monrovia, payroll, drug supply and incentives for health workers. DFID is planning assistance with the design of a multi-donor pooled fund to help support the MoH budget for this work.

Overseas Aid: Trade Unions

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding was provided from the public purse to  (a) the Trades Union Congress and  (b) individual unions for overseas development work in each of the last five years.

Hilary Benn: DFID's grants to the Trades Union Congress (including TUCAid) over the last five years were as follows:
	
		
			   Amount (£) 
			 2002-03 25,600 
			 2003-04 95,600 
			 2004-05 277,578 
			 2005-06 245,630 
			 2006-07 246,211 
		
	
	DFID's grants to individual trade unions (and other trade union bodies) over the last five years were as follows:
	
		
			   Amount (£) 
			 2002-03 270,178 
			 2003-04 244,483 
			 2004-05 309,375 
			 2005-06 618,580 
			 2006-07 257,894 
		
	
	In the individual trade union figures, we have included grants given through the Civil Society Challenge Fund, Development Awareness Fund (raising awareness in the UK), and DFID support to Iraqi TUs (through British Council).
	We have broadened this out to include other trade union bodies (other than TUC) as some CSCF and DAF grants go to organisations such as the General Federation of Trade Unions and the Commonwealth Trade Union Council.

Parliamentary Questions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many parliamentary questions were tabled to his Department in 2006, broken down by  (a) ordinary written and  (b) named day; what percentage of ordinary written questions were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage of named day questions were answered by the specified date.

Gareth Thomas: A total of 1,935 parliamentary questions were tabled to DFID in 2006, of which 1,758 were ordinary written and 177 named day. DFID's own records do not contain a breakdown of whether they were answered within 10 working days. However, it is obtainable from the  Official Report.

South America

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's Andean Unit; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: In late 2006, DFID commissioned an independent evaluation of the Regional Assistance Programme for Latin America. This involved a visit to Bolivia and Peru, and consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, including civil society, World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank colleagues. The evaluation concluded that to date, the DFID Andes office has had significant impact in strengthening the poverty focus of the International Financial Institutions, and in disseminating innovative approaches to development in the Andes region and beyond.
	Once the evaluation report is finalised, DFID will share it with partners, and use it to examine options for future engagement in the Andes region.

South America

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions  (a) he and  (b) his officials have had on the future of his Department's Andean Unit.

Gareth Thomas: At present, planning is under way for the successor to the current Regional Assistance Plan in Latin America. A range of options are being considered, including how the Department will engage in the Andean region. Officials have had lengthy discussions on future plans with colleagues in the International Financial Institutions (World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank) as well as UK NGO's working in the region. A recently-commissioned independent evaluation of DFID's work in the Andes found the office to have had significant impact in improving the poverty focus of the International Financial Institutions.
	To date, no decision has been made on how DFID will work in the Andes region. I will hold discussions with officials on this in due course, and a decision will be made in the coming months.

Uganda: Peace Negotiations

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much financial support his Department gave to the Lords Resistance Army negotiating team participating in peace talks with the Ugandan Government in Juba; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: In October 2006, the Juba Initiative Fund was established by the UN to provide financial support to the peace talks between the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government of Uganda. The UN called for £2.5 million in contributions and the UK made a contribution of £250,000. Other donors have included Canada, Sweden, the Netherlands and Norway.
	The fund has been used to help pay for the running costs of the Mediation Secretariat overseeing the talks and the team that was created to monitor the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. It was also agreed that expenditures could cover the accommodation and food costs of all the delegates at the talks, including those representing the LRA. However all these costs have been paid by the UN directly to the hotels used and no delegates have received cash payments.
	The UN has recently reported to us that by the end of December 2006, they had spent approximately £1.4 million from the fund overall. We are awaiting a more detailed breakdown of expenditures which will include details on how much was spent on individual items including food and accommodation.
	The LRA delegation left Juba in late December and they are currently refusing to return. They are demanding that the venue of the talks and the mediator be changed. Efforts are being made to try and persuade them to return and continue dialogue, led by UN Special Envoy Joaquim Chissano. A number of the LRA delegates are currently staying in Nairobi. The Juba Initiative Fund is not being used to finance their accommodation or living costs in Kenya.

UK Aid

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take further steps to ensure that UK aid channelled through international multilateral institutions is no longer subject to the condition of privatisation of public services including energy production following the announcement of a new policy on aid conditionality in March 2005.

Hilary Benn: Following the launch of the UK policy on conditionally, improving the use of conditions by multilateral institutions has been a high priority. The majority of these efforts have focused on the World Bank and IMF and some important progress has been made.
	In 2005 the UK agreed to provide £100 million in addition to our core funding of the World Bank if progress was made on harmonisation and conditionality. The first £50 million was linked to the bank carrying out a thorough review of its practice and current thinking on conditionality. In September 2005 the bank's governors endorsed this review along with five new 'Good Practice Principles' for the use of conditions which accord well with the principles underlying the UK policy on conditionality.
	We also secured an agreement that the bank management would report to the board on progress after one year. The first report did not provide sufficient information and in September 2006, we told the bank that we would withhold our second contribution of £50 million until we saw clear evidence that the principles were being applied. President Wolfowitz agreed to produce a fuller report, which was discussed by the bank's board in December. In our view, this thorough and candid report provided the evidence that the bank has made the satisfactory progress on conditionality that is required to release the second £50 million contribution.
	The report also reiterated bank management's strong commitment to make further improvements in its use of conditionality. For example:
	avoiding conditions on sensitive policy areas if government ownership is uncertain or the political environment is fragile;
	early and more proactive disclosure of the bank's analytic work;
	reducing the number of benchmarks;
	specifying the progress expected so that an assessment can be made of the impact of the programme on the poor and the bank's contribution to that programme.
	Going forward, further progress on conditionality will be a central consideration in our funding of the next replenishment of the World Bank, which begins in March. We asked the bank to produce their next report on conditionality later this year and to consult with developing country governments in order to hear their views on how things are changing.
	The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has a set of conditionality guidelines that are aligned with the principles adopted by the bank. The IMF's most recent internal review demonstrated an improved focus of conditions within its area of core competence on macroeconomics. In addition a detailed report by the fund's independent evaluation office is currently being finalised. This will examine the IMF's use of conditions in areas such as privatisation and trade liberalisation.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Advertising

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department has spent on advertising with  The Guardian newspaper including online, advertorials and advertising features in the latest year for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office spent £4,294 on direct advertising with  The Guardian newspaper in 2005-06. The Department does not retain records of how much its contractors spend with particular media outlets, for example the Central Office of Information who manage most of the Department's publicity campaigns.

Animal Experiments

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent research his Department has conducted to ensure that the regulatory regime takes account of developments in animal testing.

Joan Ryan: We make every effort to keep abreast of developments relevant to the use of animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. For example, our professional inspectorate maintains awareness of developments taking place within United Kingdom research laboratories, and of relevant publications.
	Issues relating to the use of animals for toxicity and safety studies fall within the remit of the Inter-departmental Group on the 3Rs, which the Home Office leads and membership of which includes relevant United Kingdom regulators. We are informed of work on the validation of replacement alternatives within Europe through the United Kingdom representative on the Scientific Advisory Committee to the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM).
	In addition, the Home Office contributes funding to and liaises with the National Centre for the Replacement, Reduction and Refinement of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) which was established by the Government in May 2004 to co-ordinate and stimulate research and practice in the 3Rs—the refinement of scientific procedures; reduction in numbers of animals used; and their replacement wherever possible. The NC3Rs funds high-quality 3Rs research and facilitates the exchange of information and ideas, the identification of knowledge gaps, and the translation of research findings into practice to benefit both animals and science.

Animal Experiments

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to review the licensing process for permission to conduct experiments on animals.

Joan Ryan: Regulation of the use of animals under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 is the subject of the Animals Scientific Procedures Better Regulation Programme which forms one strand of the Home Office Simplification Plan announced in December 2006.
	The objectives of the programme are to simplify current regulatory requirements and administrative processes under the 1986 Act and reduce compliance costs by 25 per cent. by 2010 while maintaining animal welfare standards. The programme will actively involve operational level practitioners from industry and academia and those with a special interest in animal welfare.
	We have no plans for any further review of the licensing process under the 1986 Act pending publication by the European Commission of proposals for a revised European Directive 86/609/EEC, which the 1986 Act transposes into United Kingdom law.

Animal Experiments

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish material which takes account of the recommendations and factors identified as relevant within the Animal Procedures Committee's Review of Cost Benefit Assessment.

Joan Ryan: The Home Office response to the Animal Procedures Committee review of cost benefit assessment under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 was published in March 2005 and is available on the Home Office website. In the response, we agreed to review the information currently published by the Home Office on the cost benefit assessment with a view to expanding and updating it, where necessary; and, secondly, we agreed that Home Office officials would work with the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), and others, to identify areas of animal use where concerted effort might deliver specific reduction, replacement and refinement (3Rs) gains in the foreseeable future. The information review has been completed, but publication of updated material has been delayed pending the outcome of current judicial review proceedings which touch on related issues. We hope to be in a position to publish by the end of 2007. The Home Office is working closely with the NC3Rs and others on an on going basis to further the development of the 3Rs and animal welfare.

Antisocial Behaviour

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of  (a) warning letters and  (b) interviews in combating antisocial behaviour.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 8 February 2007
	The Department does not hold data about these informal interventions. However, a recent study and report by the National Audit Office ("Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour", HC 99 Session 2006-07, 7 December 2006) confirmed that a tiered approach to tackling antisocial behaviour is highly effective, with warning letters being used as an example of the simplest sort of intervention.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Dewsbury

Shahid Malik: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in Dewsbury constituency in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: Antisocial behaviour order data are not available at parliamentary constituency level.

Asylum

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his response is to the recommendations of the Independent Race Monitor in his 2005-06 Annual Report that initial decisions on asylum cases should be made after an informed inquisitional hearing at which the claimant's legal advisors could appear and argue the facts of the claim directly; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Home Secretary's response to the Independent Race Monitor's report 2005-06 (dated November 2006) is published at: http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/independent_race_mon. In this response he indicated that consideration is being given to making the substantive asylum interview one in which the claimant's legal adviser takes a more significant role in the discussion of those aspects of the claim which are accepted and those which are not, thus enabling a more soundly based decision to be reached.
	As part of changes to the asylum process under the New Asylum Model (NAM), the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) and Legal Services Commission (LSC) are currently undertaking a joint pilot at IND's regional asylum team office in Solihull. This seeks to improve asylum decisions through early interaction between the case owner dealing with the application and the applicant's legal adviser to ensure the key issues in the case are identified before the asylum interview. The pilot will be subject to rigorous evaluation, after which a decision will be made about whether to integrate this approach permanently in the asylum processes and procedures.

Asylum

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the nationality of asylum applicants is determined in circumstances where the applicant asserts they are not lawfully entitled to the passport on which they entered the United Kingdom.

Liam Byrne: The nationality of an applicant will be determined by looking at and weighing up all of the available documentary and oral evidence. Current guidelines for caseworkers involved in determining nationality in doubtful nationality cases can be read at:
	www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/chapter5/apmsections/nationalitydoubtfulcases.pdf

Asylum

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applicants whose application was made before  (a) 1 January 2001,  (b) 1 January 2002 and  (c) 1 January 2003 have yet to have their case determined by his Department.

Liam Byrne: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary referred to the large number of unresolved records relating to asylum cases in his statement to Parliament on 19 July 2006. The vast majority of these cases are beyond the initial decision stage. In some instances, the records do indicate that an initial decision is awaited, but most of these are expected to be due to data errors. Work is under way on data cleansing and aligning the electronic and paper file records. This is focused primarily on the priority cases referred to by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary in his statement to Parliament on 25 July 2006.

Asylum

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is notified of planned early morning immigration enforcement visits to asylum seekers before they occur.

Liam Byrne: Chapters 46 and 47 of the Operational Enforcement Manual (OEM), available on the IND website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk, set out the levels of authority of enforcement visits, including when Ministers are advised about forthcoming operations.

Asylum Seekers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what period of notice is given to failed asylum seekers before enforcement or removal action is taken against them; and what the normal method of notification is.

Liam Byrne: Where asylum is refused individuals are notified by service of a letter of the decision and reasons for refusal and any statutory appeals rights. If they do not appeal they are expected to make arrangements to leave the UK.
	The Enforcement and Removals Directorate checks on the case information database (CID) for cases where an appeal has not been submitted and the time limit for an appeal has lapsed and for those cases where appeal rights have been exhausted. Officers allow a reasonable period of time before commencing enforcement action and this will depend on the individual circumstances of each case.
	A minimum period of 48 hours notice (including at least one working day) must (other than in prescribed circumstances) be allowed between notification of removal directions to the person being removed, and the removal itself.

Asylum Seekers

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers have been held in detention centres without deportation or release for  (a) more than one year,  (b) more than two years and  (c) more than three years.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only by examination of individual records at disproportionate cost. The information held does not differentiate between failed asylum seekers and others detained under immigration powers.

Asylum Seekers

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his response is to the proposal of the Independent Race Monitor that an independent element should be introduced into decision making on asylum cases; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: I refer my hon. Friend to the written reply I gave to him on 5 February 2007,  Official Report, column 694W.

Asylum Seekers

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to incentivise the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to increase the rate of deportation of failed asylum seekers.

Liam Byrne: Within the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) each Local Enforcement Office has its own targets for removing failed asylum seekers. Immigration officers are expected to contribute towards this but are not set individual targets. IND has been set a 'tipping the balance' target of ensuring the return of more unsuccessful asylum seekers than the number of new applicants who fail to be granted refugee status or any other temporary protection.

Asylum Seekers

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to implement the recommendation from the UK Commissioner on Human Rights in the Quality Initiative Project February-August 2005 that Immigration and Nationality Directorate targets on asylum seeker cases should emphasise high quality of decision making.

Liam Byrne: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR's) recommendation was accepted. We recognise the need for an appropriate balance between the quantity, timeliness and quality of decisions. Specific targets have been set for quality.
	We continue to work closely with the UNHCR to further improve the quality of asylum decisions, In particular UNHCR has had a positive input into the development of measures in the New Asylum Model (NAM) to ensure that case owners are equipped to make high quality and sustainable decisions.
	The first three reports by UNHCR on the Quality Initiative (QI) Project can be found at:
	http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/unhcr

Asylum Seekers

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what response he has made to the conclusion of the Independent Race Monitor in her 2004-05 and 2005-06 annual reports that Immigration and Nationality Directorate officers were under pressure to meet time targets; what time targets are set; how they are determined; and whether they have been changed in the last three years;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the Independent Race Monitor that Immigration and Nationality Directorate officials showed a tendency to disbelieve the accounts of asylum seekers because of negative perceptions about specific countries; which countries these perceptions applied to; and what steps he is taking to eradicate them.

Liam Byrne: The Government's responses to the reports were placed in the Libraries of both Houses and can also be found on the Home Office website. The response sets out in some detail the steps which are being taken to maintain and improve, where necessary, the quality of decision making by officials scrutinising claims for asylum. The relevant time target for the period 2002 to 2006 was to ensure that by 2004 that 75 per cent. of substantive asylum applications were decided within two months; and that 75 per cent., including final appeal, are decided within six months. Under the new asylum processes, with effect from April 2007 the target is for 35 per cent. of new asylum applications to be concluded within six months, rising annually to 90 per cent. by 2011. These targets are set on the basis of the Government's assessment of the quality of service which can reasonably be expected in the light of the resources available.
	Officials are expected to reach their decisions on the facts of each case, underpinned by objective country of origin information, supplied by the Country of Origin Information Service. Knowledge of patterns of abuse of the asylum process by people of particular nationalities may well be relevant to the overall assessment of a claim, but could not in itself be grounds for its refusal. External assessment of asylum decisions is taken by Treasury solicitors and UNHCR and used to inform our ongoing work on decision quality.

Asylum: Deportation

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on the deportation of failed asylum seekers  (a) while representations are still in process and  (b) before requested meetings with hon. Members have been held; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Chapter 9.10 and 43.3 of the Operational Enforcement Manual (OEM), available on the IND website at www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk, sets out the policy on the removal of individuals, including asylum seekers, while representations are still in process. These processes would also apply before requested meetings with Ministers have been held.

Asylum: Families

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of failed asylum seekers deported in the last 12 months were families with children.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not available; it would be available only by examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost.
	Information on asylum removals, including and excluding dependants, is published quarterly and annually. Copies of these publications are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Research Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Asylum: Families

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of asylum claims  (a) made and  (b) granted in the last 12 months involved families with children.

Liam Byrne: This information is not available.
	Information on asylum initial decisions, including and excluding dependants, is published quarterly and annually. Copies of these publications are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Asylum: Families

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what percentage of cases where he ordered deportation in the last 12 months he later reversed his decision; and how many cases involved families with children.

Liam Byrne: These data are not routinely collected and can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Asylum: Iraq

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether  (a) south and central Iraq,  (b) northern Iraq and  (c) the area controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government within Iraq are presently regarded as safe places to which forced removals from the UK can take place; and whether it is his policy to remove to northern Iraq Iraqi citizens whose original residence was in the south and centre.

Liam Byrne: We closely monitor developments in Iraq, and will take decisions on a case-by-case basis in light of the most current situation. Returns will only be undertaken where we are satisfied the individual has no protection needs. During this early stage of the programme of enforced returns on charter flights, we are removing those individuals who are from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) area of Iraq.

Asylum: Malawi

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what checks are made with the Malawian authorities to ascertain that failed asylum seekers being deported to their country are  (a) entitled to a Malawian passport and  (b) will not be deported from Malawi to a third country.

Liam Byrne: Malawian asylum seekers will be returned to Malawi only where the decision making and independent appeals system have found that this would be consistent with our obligations under the Refugee Convention and ECHR. Where an individual is not a national of Malawi but is entitled to reside there we would take into account any likelihood of their being onwardly removed to another country. The nationality or entitlement of an applicant to reside in a country is determined by looking at and weighing up all of the available documentary and oral evidence. Where a person holds a genuine Malawian passport or other identity document issued by the Malawian authorities, that would normally be enough to show that the holder is entitled to reside in Malawi.

Asylum: Malawi

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers claiming to be Zimbabwean nationals have been removed to Malawi since January 2003.

Liam Byrne: Information on the destination of persons removed from the UK has only been collated since 2004. The latest published information on removal of asylum seekers covers the third quarter of 2006.
	Fewer than three asylum applicants, who were recorded as nationals of Zimbabwe, have been removed from the UK to Malawi, from January 2004 to September 2006. This figure includes enforced removals, persons departing 'voluntarily' after enforcement action had been initiated against them, persons leaving under assisted voluntary return programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration, and (since 2005) those who it is established have left the UK without informing the immigration authorities. This figure is provisional.
	Information on removals of asylum seekers for the fourth quarter of 2006 will be published at the end of February on the Home Office's Research Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration.html.

Asylum: Work Permits

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers who have been waiting 12 months or more for a decision on their case have applied for permission for the right to work; and how many of these applications have been successful.

Liam Byrne: The employment concession for asylum seekers was abolished in July 2002, but a change to the Immigration Rules in February 2005 made provision for claimants to apply for permission to take up employment if consideration of their case is delayed for more than 12 months and the delay is attributable to IND. Such permission is only given until the asylum application and any appeals have been determined. Those without authority to remain in the UK do not benefit from any concessions allowing employment.
	Information is not held centrally on the number of applicants who have applied for permission for the right to work where consideration of their case has been delayed more than 12 months, nor on the number granted. The information could be obtained only by examination of individual case files, which would be at disproportionate cost.

Bokhari Family

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Bokhari family deported on 22 January 2007 were offered Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme financial help with resettlement in return for departing voluntarily.

Liam Byrne: Throughout the asylum process individuals are made aware of the Voluntary Assisted Return and Repatriation Programme (VARRP). The scheme is extensively promoted by IND but the onus is on individuals to apply to the scheme in order to benefit.

Burmese Embassy Demonstrations

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what restrictions have been placed on demonstrations outside the Burmese embassy in London; and why such restrictions have been made.

Tony McNulty: This is an operational matter for the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

Burmese Embassy Demonstrations

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints  (a) his Department and  (b) the Metropolitan Police have received about demonstrations outside the Burmese embassy in London; and from whom.

Tony McNulty: We are not aware of any complaints received by either the Metropolitan Police or the Home Office regarding the protests outside the Burmese embassy.

Burmese Embassy Demonstrations

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests were made during demonstrations outside the Burmese embassy in London in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: This is an operational matter for the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

Cannabis

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the average cost of prosecuting an individual for possession of cannabis in the latest period for which figures are available.

John Reid: It is impossible to provide an accurate and meaningful estimate given the wide variety of circumstances in which prosecutions may take place.

Child Sex Offenders

Alan Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 18 December 2006,  Official Report, columns 1660-1W, on child sex offenders, what information the prison IT system holds on the time served by prisoners convicted of sexual offences against children.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The time served by prisoners convicted of sexual offences against children is not available because the offence codes contained on the prison IT system do not distinguish between sexual offences against children and other sexual offences.

Closed Circuit Television: Suffolk

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many publicly-funded CCTV cameras  (a) there are in Suffolk and  (b) there were in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for the local authorities in Suffolk.

Committees: Ministerial Attendance

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what occasions  (a) he and  (b) departmental Ministers have been requested to appear before committees of (i) devolved institutions and (ii) the European Parliament since 2004; on what topic in each case; how many and what proportion of such requests were accepted; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ryan: The information is as follows.
	(i) A review of management information systems from both the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly has identified that no Home Office Minister has attended a committee of either institution since 2004. In both instances, no record is kept of the number of requests made to Home Office Ministers to attend such committees. Such information could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
	(ii) Ministers in the Department occasionally attend committees of the European Parliament in the course of official business. However, no record is kept of the number of requests made to Home Office Ministers to attend such committees. Such information could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

Community Support Officers: East Midlands

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police community support officers there were in each of the east midlands police forces in  (a) 2001 and  (b) 2006.

Tony McNulty: These data are published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin series—Police Service Strength, England and Wales. The latest available bulletin contains data as at 30 September 2006, is available in the Library of the House and can be downloaded from:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb0407.pdf
	Table 3 in the bulletin contains the numbers of police community support officers in each of the east midlands police forces. Police community support officers were introduced in statute in 2002, therefore data are not available prior to 2002-03.

Community Support Officers: Protective Clothing

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 31 January 2007,  Official Report, column 364W, on police community support officers, what advice the Home Office Scientific Development Branch has given to police forces in England and Wales on the issuing of protective equipment for police community support officers.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office Scientific Development Branch regularly advises police forces with regard to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). However, they have not been asked to provide advice specific to police community support officers. Additionally, any advice is always on the understanding that suitable risk assessments are carried out by the force to determine if PPE is required and the level of protection that the PPE should offer.

Crime

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people convicted of an offence in the last five years had parents who have been previously convicted of a crime.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform does not include data on the parents of defendants.

Crime: Suffolk

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many criminal offences committed in Suffolk in each of the last five years resulted in  (a) a prison sentence and  (b) a suspended prison sentence.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The available information is contained in the following table and shows immediate and suspended custodial sentences given in magistrates courts in Suffolk and at the Crown Court if committed by Suffolk magistrates. The Home Office Courts Proceedings Database does not include details as to where crimes are committed.
	
		
			  Persons sentenced to immediate custody or a suspended sentence by Suffolk courts( 1) , 2001-05 
			   Persons sentenced and type of sentence 
			   Number given immediate custody  Number given suspended sentence  Total number sentenced 
			  Suffolk
			 2001 877 17 14,627 
			 2002 908 25 15,925 
			 2003 983 39 16,065 
			 2004 1,109 79 18,647 
			 2005 1,019 297 19,296 
			 (1) Magistrates courts in Suffolk and the Crown Court if committed by magistrates in Suffolk.  Note: Although care is taken in collating and analysing the returns used to compile these figures, the data are of necessity subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Consequently, although figures are shown to the last digit in order to provide a comprehensive record of the information collected, they are not necessarily accurate to the last digit shown.  Source: RDS-NOMS, Home Office

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much compensation was granted by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in each of the last five years, broken down by  (a) constituency and  (b) local authority of recipient.

John Reid: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority advise that they cannot provide information about compensation paid by a constituency or local authority area.

Criminal Investigation: Broadcasting

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers the police have to force broadcasters to disclose unbroadcast edited material as part of a criminal investigation.

Tony McNulty: Part II of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 enables a constable to gain access to journalistic material that is deemed to be special procedure material by making an application under schedule 1 of PACE to a circuit judge if he or she considers:
	there are reasonable grounds that an indictable offence has been committed;
	that the material exist on premises specified in the application or on premises occupied or controlled by the person specified on the application;
	that the material is likely to be of substantial value; and
	the material is likely to be relevant evidence.

Dale Miller

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when details of Dale Miller's convictions in  (a) Switzerland and  (b) Germany were entered on the police national computer; and which agency entered the details.

John Reid: It would be inappropriate to comment on individual cases.

Data Sets

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether the Child Protection Agency, police and local authorities share a common address database for their services;
	(2)  whether the police and ambulance services share a common address database for their services.

Tony McNulty: In most cases, police and other agencies do not use a common address database (gazetteer).
	Police force gazetteers are derived from commercially available files which provide a database of postal address locations. Forces will often tailor these databases to make them more relevant to their police force area. Although other agencies using address gazetteers are likely to use the same or similar underlying data, it is not standard practice to share the same gazetteer.

Data-sharing

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the European Union's plans for EU data-sharing will entail the sharing of data held  (a) in the National Identity Register,  (b) on the National DNA database,  (c) on the NHS Spine and  (d) by the Valuation Office Agency.

Joan Ryan: There are a number of EU initiatives to improve information sharing in the area of Justice and Home Affairs. In principle the UK is keen to share information with EU partners that will add to our ability to protect the public, where the request is in the interest of prevention and detection of crime and taking account of the justification and proportionality of disclosure in accordance with human rights legislation. The Government are supportive of a current initiative by the German presidency of the EU to transpose parts of the Prüm Convention into EU law, which includes provisions on improving the sharing of DNA data.
	The provision of information from the National Identity Register will be regulated by the Identity Cards Act 2006 which includes no power for information to be given to foreign governments, except in the limited circumstances set out in the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 relating to criminal proceedings carried out by law enforcement agencies overseas. Information about UK NHS patients is not shared with other European health administrations unless the patient has consented, and either has been referred for treatment to a provider in another European state or is seeking care from a provider in another European state (e.g. they are taken ill while abroad). I am not aware of any plans to share data held by the Valuation Office Agency.

Departmental Offices

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what area of office space his Department and its agencies used in central London in  (a) 2004 and  (b) 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: In December 2004 the Home Office and its agencies occupied 103,800 square metres net internal area and in December 2006 104,360 square metres net internal area in the inner London boroughs.

Departmental Travel

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's expenditure was on foreign travel including accommodation in  (a) 1996-97 and  (b) 2005-06.

Liam Byrne: The Department's expenditure on foreign travel in the two years concerned was:
	Separate records were not kept of foreign accommodation costs in 1996-97 and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Costs of foreign accommodation in 2005-06 were £3,775,458.
	The increase in costs over the period reflects the changing nature of the Home Office's business, in particular the growth of international terrorism, migration and international travel. Collaboration and information exchange with other countries on counter-terrorism activities and border control have become increasingly critical to the effective discharge of the Department's responsibilities for asylum, immigration and national security. This has involved higher levels of overseas travel.
	For ministerial foreign travel, which is included in the above, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 19 December 2006,  Official Report, column 1808W.

Departments: Freedom of Information

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions special advisers have been consulted in replying to Freedom of Information requests to his Department; and what his Department's policy is on the role of special advisers in the answering of Freedom of Information requests.

Liam Byrne: Special advisers conduct themselves in accordance with the requirements of the code of conduct for special advisers.

Deportation

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of failed asylum seekers who were  (a) accompanied children,  (b) unaccompanied children,  (c) spouses of failed asylum seekers,  (d) single applicants and  (e) failed asylum seekers with criminal records were deported in the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not available; it would be available only by examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.
	Published statistics on immigration and asylum are available on the Home Office's Research Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Deportation

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his comment made on the Today programme of 26 January 2007, that failed asylum seekers are being expelled at a rate of one every 26 minutes, over what period this rate was calculated; what the comparative rate was in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2001; whether the figure takes account of spouses and children of failed asylum seekers; and whether (i) targets and (ii) incentives are set for Immigration and Nationality Directorate staff regarding expulsion of failed asylum seekers.

Liam Byrne: Failed asylum seekers were expelled at a rate of one every 26 minutes for Q2 2006. There were 5,070 removals, including dependents, during this period.
	The comparative rate in 2005 was a rate of one every 34 minutes based on 15,685 removals, including dependents, and one every 49 minutes for 2001 based on 10,780 removals, including dependents.
	From April 2007, all new asylum applications will be dealt with by Regional Asylum Teams under the new asylum processes. The target is for 90 per cent. of new asylum applications to be concluded—granted or removed—within six months by 2011.
	The new asylum process neither has nor intends any incentive for staff in relation to the expulsion of asylum seekers.

Deportation

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he authorises individual early morning immigration enforcement visits to detain failed asylum seekers.

Liam Byrne: The factors to be taken into account when deciding the timing of a family detention visit are whether it is the best time of day to pick up the whole family as an entire unit, the sensitivity of the immigration visit, whether there may be community or other local difficulties, and whether the purpose of the visit would be frustrated if carried out at a different time. Chapters 46 and 47 of the Operational Enforcement Manual (OEM), available on the IND website, set out the levels of authority of enforcement visits, including when Ministers are advised of forthcoming operations.

Deportation: Algeria

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assurances were sought from the government of Algeria before the removal to Algeria on 20 and 24 January 2007 of two men who had been detained in the UK under anti-terrorism powers.

Tony McNulty: The British Government seek to remove individuals to Algeria on the basis of assurances regarding treatment contained within an exchange of letters, signed by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and President Bouteflika on 11 July 2006 (copies are in the Library), supplemented by specific assurances where necessary. This approach has recently been endorsed by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC).
	The two individuals referred to voluntarily chose to withdraw their appeals against deportation and were returned to Algeria last month. The general assurances in the exchange of letters will apply to both individuals. Specific assurances were also sought in the case of the individual returned on 24 January. The individual who was returned on 20 January withdrew his appeal before the process of seeking assurances in his case. Officials from the British embassy in Algiers have remained in close contact with the Algerian authorities regarding the deported individuals. Both men were provided with full details of the British embassy's contact details and it was explained that they or a nominated contact point could maintain contact with the British embassy after their return. Neither of the men wished to make such a request.
	The British Government are confident we can deport terrorist suspects to Algeria without breaching the UK's domestic and international human rights obligations. We base this judgment on the changing circumstances in Algeria, on the rapidly developing relationship between the UK and Algeria and on the assurances given by the Algerian government on individual deportees.

Deportation: Court Orders

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deportations following court orders have taken place in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not available and could be obtained only by an examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.

Deportation: Northern Ireland

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have received deportation orders from Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and how many of them are still in the Province.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	On 23 May 2006 my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary set out eight priority areas to achieve our long-term policy goals on foreign national prisoners, including arrangements for the consideration for deportation of foreign national prisoners in custody in Northern Ireland. Prison authorities in Northern Ireland have confirmed that these arrangements are now well established and that no foreign national prisoners within Northern Ireland Prison Service custody have been released without first being considered for deportation.

Detention Centres

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the 32 foreign national prisoners held in Channings Wood prison as at 15 February are still being held at Channings Wood; how many have been released; and how many of those that have been released have been deported.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 23 November 2006
	As of 29 January, four foreign national prisoners who were held at Channings Wood on 15 February 2006 are still being held at that prison.
	The further information requested on those who are no longer at Channings Wood is not centrally held by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate and to provide this would involve an individual examination of case files at disproportionate cost.
	Prisoners leave establishments for a number of different reasons including, for example, removal from the UK, or on transfer to other prison establishments or Immigration Removal Centres.

DNA Database

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2007,  Official Report, column 2013W, on the DNA database, why the number of individuals on the database registered in the City of London exceeds the number of residents.

Joan Ryan: The National DNA Database shows which force took a DNA sample from the person concerned, not which force area that person resides in. The City of London police area has a very small resident population and most of those who have a DNA sample taken by the force live elsewhere.

Domestic Disturbances

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many domestic disturbance calls were made to the police from Tamworth constituency in each of the last two years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Home Office does not routinely collect data on calls to the police for assistance. However, Staffordshire police have been able to provide the following statistics on the number of domestic incidents reported to the police for the constituency of Tamworth.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2004-05 1,358 
			 2005-06 1,448

Domestic Violence

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to monitor compliance with the gender equality duty in respect of crimes related to domestic violence.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Equal Opportunities Commission (until October 2007) and the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (after October 2007) will be responsible for monitoring public authorities' compliance with the gender equality duty from April 2007.
	The gender equality duty will cover all public functions of a public authority. It will be up to each public authority, in consultation with relevant stakeholders (such as employees and end-users) to decide whether it should treat domestic violence as a priority gender equality objective in its gender equality scheme.
	The Home Office is committed to gender equality and complying with the duty. To support the monitoring of compliance, data collected in respect of crimes related to domestic violence can be disaggregated by gender. The British Crime Survey's Inter-Personal Violence module asks both genders about their experience of domestic violence; and the police also collect data in relation to the gender of both reported victims of domestic violence and alleged perpetrators. In relation to services for victims of domestic violence funded by the Home Office, data returns include fields for both genders in relation to victims supported.

Dr Andrew Lutakome Kayiira

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2007,  Official Report, column 133W, on Dr. Andrew Lutakome Kayiira, what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Scotland Yard report into the murder of Dr. Andrew Lutakome Kayiira in Uganda was amended by the Ugandan government before publication.

Tony McNulty: The contents of the report are a matter for the government of Uganda.

Drug Offences

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) arrests,  (b) convictions and  (c) cautions for offences relating to (i) possession and (ii) dealing in class (A) A, (B) B and (C) C drugs there were in each police authority area in (1) 2005 and (2) 2006.

Tony McNulty: The requested data are not available.

Drug Users

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many problematic drug users there were in each of the last 20 years for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: There is no consistent time series of estimates of the number of problematic drug users over the last 20 years. The Home Office has commissioned research to provide estimates of the number of problem drug users but their developmental nature means that the estimates from different studies are not directly comparable.
	In 2000, a study estimated that the number of Class A problem drug users in England and Wales was at least 281,125 and at most 506,025 with a middle estimate of 337,350.
	In 2000-01, another study used a different methodological approach and estimated that the number of problem opiate, crack cocaine or benzodiazepine users in England to be about 287,670 (within a range of about 275,000 and 300,000).
	A three-year study is currently under way to provide more accurate estimates of the size of the problem drug use population. The first year results estimate there were 327,466 opiate and/or crack cocaine users aged 15 to 64 years in England in 2004-05 (within a range of 325,945 and 343,424).

Drugs

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crack houses were successfully closed  (a) in England and Wales and  (b) by the West Midlands police in each of the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 9 February 2007
	The data are not available in the form requested.
	The number of closure orders made in England and Wales in the last three years, as reported by Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships, is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of closure orders 
			 2003-04 94 
			 2004-05 286 
			 2005-06 342

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are being treated on detoxification programmes.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 8 February 2007
	The most recent full year figure is for 2005-06, which showed that there were 53,323 entrants to prison detoxification and drug maintenance programmes.

Electronic Surveillance: Public Transport

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the Metropolitan Police requested from Transport for London information on journeys made by individuals in each month since the inception of the Oyster Card.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 8 February 2007
	This is a matter for the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

Emergency Calls

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many calls to the police 999 emergency services were classed as being non-emergencies in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 1 February 2007
	Data on the number of non-emergency calls is not collected centrally. This is essentially an operational matter for the chief constable of each force.

Engagements

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what dates Ministers in his Department made official visits to the London boroughs of  (a) Tower Hamlets,  (b) Newham and  (c) Waltham Forest in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: It is custom for a Minister when preparing to make a visit within the United Kingdom to inform the Members of the constituencies to be included within their itinerary.
	Information on ministerial visits within the UK is not collected centrally. The information requested, about visits undertaken since 1997, will be available only at disproportionate cost (£700).

Firearms

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firearms were surrendered in each police authority area in accordance with the provisions of the Firearms (Amendment) Acts 1997.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is given in the table.
	
		
			   Total 
			  England and Wales  
			 Avon and Somerset 4,495 
			 Bedfordshire 1,374 
			 City of London 133 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,794 
			 Cheshire 2,978 
			 Cleveland 1,065 
			 Cumbria 1,287 
			 Derbyshire 2,554 
			 Devon and Cornwall 5,090 
			 Dorset 3,100 
			 Durham 1,441 
			 Dyfed Powys 1,793 
			 Essex 6,766 
			 Gloucestershire 1,700 
			 Greater Manchester 5,522 
			 Gwent 1,564 
			 Hampshire 5,172 
			 Hertfordshire 2,674 
			 Humberside 1,737 
			 Kent 5,170 
			 Lancashire 3,291 
			 Leicestershire 3,094 
			 Lincolnshire 1,808 
			 Merseyside 3,965 
			 Met Area 1 965 
			 Met Area 2 3,980 
			 Met Area 3 4,486 
			 Met Area 4 5,864 
			 Met Area 5 4,528 
			 Norfolk 3,128 
			 Northamptonshire 1,607 
			 Northumbria 2,561 
			 North Wales 1,817 
			 North Yorkshire 4,025 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,754 
			 South Wales 3,983 
			 South Yorkshire 3,007 
			 Staffordshire 3,947 
			 Suffolk 2,341 
			 Surrey 4,462 
			 Sussex 4,318 
			 Thames Valley 5,626 
			 Warwickshire 1,223 
			 West Mercia 3,687 
			 West Midlands 6,476 
			 West Yorkshire 4,944 
			 Wiltshire 1,876 
			   
			  Scotland  
			 Central Scotland 409 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 352 
			 Fife 430 
			 Grampian 891 
			 Lothian and Borders 1,692 
			 Northern 1,438 
			 Strathclyde 2,933 
			 Tayside 881

Firearms: Amnesties

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Department has to hold a national firearms amnesty; and what assessment he has made of the extent to which such measures are effective in reducing the level of firearms offences.

Vernon Coaker: We are discussing with the Association of Chief Police Officers whether a national firearms amnesty should be held later this year. The last national amnesty in 2003 resulted in the surrender of 44,000 firearms and over a million rounds of ammunition. Taking such potentially lethal items off the streets contributes to community safety but an amnesty is just one aspect of the wider overall strategy. This includes enhancing already tough legislation through the Violent Crime Reduction Act, supporting community activity through the Connected Fund and other project funding, and working with the Association of Chief Police Officers Criminal Use of Firearms Group on a range of issues focusing on prevention, intelligence and enforcement.

Firearms: Crime

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has held on tackling gun crime in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) the West Midlands.

Vernon Coaker: Gun crime was discussed at the Round Table meeting on guns, knives and gangs that was held at the Home Office on 7 February. The meeting was attended by senior representatives from the Association of Chief Police Officers, community members, voluntary bodies and Government Departments. The meeting looked at current work on gun crime, including:
	the measures in the Violent Crime Act, which will introduce a ban on the sale, importation and manufacture of realistic imitation firearms, restricts the sale of air weapons, extends the five year minimum sentence to other offences related to possession of prohibited firearms, and introduces a new offence of using someone to mind a weapon;
	support for local community work through the Connected Fund and other project funding; and
	the work being taken forward by ACPO Criminal Use of Firearms group on prevention, intelligence and enforcement.
	The meeting also discussed what other action might be taken. A further meeting will be held in the next few weeks.

Firearms: Crime

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firearms offences were committed in England and Wales in each of the last three years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 8 February 2007
	Available data relate to the number of offences recorded by the police involving the use of a firearm up to and including 2005-06, and were published on 25 January 2007 in 'Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2005/2006' (Home Office Statistical Bulletin 02/07), which is available as an internet-only release at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb0207.pdf.

Firearms: Wales

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether North Wales Police recorded the details, including serial numbers, of the 1,817 firearms handed in following the handgun ban in accordance with the provisions of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997.

Tony McNulty: The way in which the details of firearms surrendered to the police were recorded is a matter for individual chief officers.

Fixed Penalty Notices

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices were issued for personal robberies in each police force area in each of the last five years.

John Reid: Neither penalty notices for disorder nor fixed penalty notices can be issued for street robberies.

Footpath Gating Orders

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many local authorities in (a) England, (b) the North West and (c) Greater Manchester have implemented footpath gating orders using the powers contained within the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not collected centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Foreign National Prisoners

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2007,  Official Report, column 134W, on foreign national prisoners, what data is held by his Department on the offences committed by prisoners released from HMP Peterborough; in what format the data is kept; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 2 February 2007
	The Immigration and Nationality Directorate holds electronic records of offences committed by foreign national prisoners who meet the current criteria for deportation.
	Comprehensive information on discharges, including offences committed by individual prisoners, is not available using data stored on the Prison IT system.
	Prisoners leave establishments for a variety of reasons including, for example, removal from the UK, or on transfer to other prison establishments or Immigration Removal Centres. To provide information on offences committed by individuals transferred across or removed from the prison estate would require a manual search of individual case records which could be carried out only at disproportionate cost.

Highly Skilled Migrant Programme

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many previously successful applicants to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme he expects will be excluded by the recent changes to the scheme; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on the effect on business and industry of such exclusions.

John Reid: Currently, we are evaluating the impact of the changes to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme.
	I have regular discussions with colleagues in Government concerning prospective changes to the immigration rules and the impacts they might have.

Highly Skilled Migrant Programme

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the impact on the number of skilled workers in the UK of the most recent changes to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme.

Liam Byrne: Skilled workers currently in the UK under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) can apply to extend their leave. The rules for the HSMP extension applications have recently been amended to ensure that applicants already in the UK under the programme have been making, and can continue to make, a contribution to the UK economy. The changes were based on a thorough analysis of the HSMP criteria. Individuals applying to extend their leave to remain in the UK under the HSMP must now achieve a minimum of 75 points against robust points scoring criteria (qualifications, previous earnings, age and UK experience, with a provision for MBA graduates from selected institutions) and must also meet a mandatory English language requirement. The points scoring structure is flexible and is based on criteria that will indicate success in the labour market. If an applicant claims fewer points in one area, they can make up for it by claiming more points in another.
	It is expected that the majority of migrants currently in the UK under the HSMP will qualify under the new points test. Transitional arrangements have been put in place to support those existing participants of the HSMP who will fail to satisfy the new points scoring assessment but who have been contributing to the UK economy.

Highly Skilled Migrant Programme

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions his Department has had with  (a) the Indian Government and  (b) other governments regarding recent changes to the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office always works closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on changes to the Immigration Rules. If the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise that our international partners would welcome briefing on matters related to the Immigration Rules, the Home Office is willing to provide this.
	In this particular case we provided certain overseas posts, including those in India and Pakistan, with the necessary material to brief their host governments in advance of the change. Some posts took the opportunity to do this. We also have dialogue with foreign diplomatic posts in London, as required.

HMP Weir

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for the use of HMP Weir.

John Reid: The ship formally known as HMP The Weare was sold to a specialist ship broker as an accommodation barge in May 2006. Future decisions as to its use are a matter for the owner.

Holloway Prison

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recreational facilities are available to prisoners at HMP Holloway.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The recreational facilities available include a variety of workshops and educational facilities and a library for prisoners to use.
	There is a pool table on each unit, televisions in all cells for which the prisoners pay £1 a week, and access to exercise yards each day. Prisoners on the enhanced level of incentives and earned privileges have access to DVD players and hand-held play stations. There is access to a gym all week and a swimming pool that can be used at the weekend. Prisoners on the mother and baby unit have access to a relaxation/light room. There are also further facilities such as hair salon.

Home Detention Curfews: Electronic Tagging

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) estimate of the number and  (b) assessment of the causes his Department has made of technical failures of the tags used in the Home Detention Curfew Scheme in the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The technology used for electronic monitoring has been shown to be reliable over several years. All equipment designs are tested independently before operational deployment.
	Where there are suspected technical failures the Home Office has required suppliers to rectify the problem and sought independent advice on a case-by-case basis. No systematic records of failure numbers have been kept to date, but we are setting up a logging system.

Home Detention Curfews: Electronic Tagging

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedure exists for  (a) reporting and  (b) identifying the causes of technical faults in tags used in the Home Detention Curfew Scheme.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The electronic monitoring service providers inform the Home Office of all equipment malfunctions, including those caused by accidental or deliberate damage. We have started to put in place a procedure for recording systematically how many malfunctions are caused by a technical fault rather than damage by the offender. However, technical faults are rare because all equipment types are rigorously tested before operational use.

Homicide: Young People

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many teenage victims of murder there were in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Available data relates to offences recorded as homicide between 1995 and 2005-06 where the victim was aged between 13 and 19 (inclusive).
	
		
			  Offences currently( 1 ) recorded as homicide( 2)  where victims aged between 13 and 19 (inclusive): England and Wales, 1995 to 2005-06( 3) 
			   Number of victims 
			 1995 44 
			 1996 61 
			 1997 37 
			 1997-98 35 
			 1998-99 56 
			 1999-2000 57 
			 2000-01 65 
			 2001-02 67 
			 2002-03 64 
			 2003-04 69 
			 2004-05 62 
			 2005-06 69 
			 (1) As at 9 October 2006; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available. (2) Homicide covers the offences of murder, manslaughter and infanticide. (3) Offences are shown according to the year in which the police initially recorded the offence as homicide (murder or manslaughter). This is not necessarily the year in which the incident took place or the year in which any court decision was made.

Homosexuality

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what measures his Department  (a) has introduced and  (b) is planning to introduce to record and report the number of incidences of homophobic abuse at football matches;
	(2)  how many homophobic-related offences were committed at football grounds in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Racist or indecent chanting in football grounds is a criminal offence under the Football (Offences) Act 1991: depending on the circumstances of each case this may include homophobic chanting. There were 56 arrests for the offence in 2005-06 season, and 52 arrests in 2004- 05.The data do not specify the type of chanting involved.
	Local police football intelligence officers provide the UK Football Policing Unit with details of incidents, offences and arrests connected with all league and cup matches in England and Wales. Although I understand this intelligence does not suggest that homophobic chanting is a growing problem developments are kept under review.
	In addition I understand the Premier League and Football League intend to amend generic ground regulations for next season to make clear to all spectators that homophobic and other discriminatory abuse, chanting or harassment may result in arrest and/or ejection from the ground.

Human Trafficking

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on plans for the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, with particular reference to the  (a) detection of trafficking through border control,  (b) regime for defining victims of trafficking,  (c) immigration status of victims during the recovery and reflection period,  (d) issue of renewable residence permits,  (e) compensation of victims from the assets of perpetrators,  (f) arrangements for repatriation and return of victims, (g) access to health and education while temporarily admitted,  (h) prosecution of traffickers,  (i) appropriate training and  (j) involvement with the Group of Experts monitoring process.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 5 February 2007
	The Prime Minister announced on 22 January the intention of the UK Government to sign the Convention. Details on how implementation will be taken forward are currently being developed. It will inevitably take some time to move from signature to ratification of the Convention. The implementation process will involve close co-operation with stakeholders, including non-governmental organisations, law enforcement and other Government Departments and agencies.

Human Trafficking

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for formal United Kingdom accession to the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 5 February 2007
	The Prime Minister announced on the 22 January the intention of the UK Government to sign the Convention. Details on how implementation will be taken forward are currently being developed. It will inevitably take some time to move from signature to ratification of the Convention. The implementation process will involve close co-operation with stakeholders, including non-governmental organisations, law enforcement and other Government Departments and agencies.

Human Trafficking: Prosecutions

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases involving human trafficking or suspected trafficking have been prosecuted under the charge of facilitation of illegal entry since the beginning of Operation Reflex.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 5 February 2007
	Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform for the number of defendants proceeded against for various offences relating to trafficking of people in England and Wales, 2000 to 2005 can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for various offences relating to trafficking of people in England and Wales, 2000 to 2005( 1,2,3,4) 
			  Statute  Offence description  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Immigration Act 1971 Sec 25(1)(a). Knowingly concerned in making or carrying out arrangements for securing or facilitating the entry into the UK of anyone whom he knows or has reasonable cause for believing to be an illegal entrant. 169 190 216 213 18 4 
			 Immigration Act 1971 Sec 25(1 )(b) as added by Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 S.5. Knowingly concerned in making or carrying out arrangements for securing or facilitating the entry into the UK of anyone whom he knows or has reasonable cause for believing to be an asylum claimant. 7 8 3 15 3 — 
			 Immigration Act 1971 Sec 25(1 )(c) as added by Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 S.5. Knowingly concerned in making or carrying out arrangements for securing or facilitating the obtaining of leave to remain in the UK by means which he knows or has reasonable cause for believing to include deception. 5 4 7 8 — — 
			 Immigration Act 1971 S25 as added by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 S143 Assisting unlawful immigration to member state (was 194/11 and 12) — — — 39 135 99 
			 Immigration Act 1971 S25A as added by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 S143 Helping asylum-seeker to enter the UK. — — — 8 24 15 
			 Immigration Act 1971 S25B as added by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 S143 Assisting entry to UK in breach of deportation order or exclusion order. — — — — 2 5 
			 Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Act 2004 S.4(2)(5) Trafficking people within the UK for the purpose of exploitation. — — — — — 1 
			 Immigration Act, 1971 Sec 25(2). Knowingly harbouring an illegal entrant (or person believed to be an illegal entrant). 1 2 1 3 1 1 
			 Immigration Act 1971 Sec 25(2). Knowingly harbouring a non citizen who has remained in UK beyond the time allowed or has failed to observe a condition of the leave. 1 — 1 4 — 1 
			 Total  183 204 228 290 183 126 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3 )The Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Act 2004 Section 4 came into force in 2004. (4) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.  Source:  RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform

Identity Cards: Applications

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many planning applications have been made by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies for identity interview centres; and in which such local authorities applications have been made.

Joan Ryan: There are 69 proposed locations for IPS interview offices and planning applications for change of use have been made (by Mapeley Abl) for 31 of the offices as shown below:
	
		
			  Interview office  Local authority 
			 Glasgow Glasgow city council 
			 Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne city council 
			 Belfast Belfast city council 
			 Manchester Manchester city council 
			 Leeds Leeds city council 
			 Newport Newport city council 
			 Birmingham Birmingham city council 
			 Peterborough Peterborough city council 
			 Plymouth Plymouth city council 
			 Reading Reading borough council 
			 Liverpool Liverpool city council 
			 Sheffield Sheffield city council 
			 Derby Derby city council 
			 Luton Luton borough council 
			 Blackburn Blackburn and Darwen borough council 
			 Chelmsford Chelmsford borough council 
			 Bristol Bristol city council 
			 Portsmouth Portsmouth city council 
			 Swansea Swansea city and borough council 
			 Middlesbrough Middlesbrough council 
			 Leicester Leicester city council 
			 Wrexham Wrexham county borough council 
			 Stoke on Trent Stoke on Trent city council 
			 Crawley Crawley borough council 
			 Norwich Norwich city council 
			 Dover Dover district council 
			 Ipswich Ipswich borough council 
			 Kendal South Lakeland district council 
			 Lincoln Lincoln city council 
			 Northampton Northampton borough council 
			 Carlisle Carlisle city council 
		
	
	A number of local planning authorities have told IPS that using offices for interviews does not constitute a change of use and does not require a planning application to be submitted.
	No further planning applications will be made.

Identity Fraud

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in  (a) Chorley constituency and  (b) England and Wales reported being victims of identity fraud in each of the last five years.

Joan Ryan: This information is not available centrally because there is no single offence of identity fraud.
	However, the 250 members of CIFAS, the UK's Fraud Prevention Service for the private sector (mainly financial services companies), recorded 32,737 victims of identity fraud in 2002, 43,094 in 2003, 50,455 in 2004, 56,200 in 2005 and 67,406 in 2006.
	In addition, identity theft and identity fraud questions were incorporated into the British Crime Survey in 2005 and the results should give us more information on the number of victims.

Immigrants

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of foreign nationals legally resident in the UK, broken down by category of leave to live in the UK;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of foreign nationals legally resident in the UK who  (a) have stayed and  (b) intend to stay for more than six months.

John Reid: It is not possible to say with accuracy how many legal immigrants are present in the country, because there is currently no means of counting those who leave the country of their own accord without informing the immigration authorities.

Immigration

Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of people legally entering the UK for  (a) employment and  (b) residential purposes in each of the last three years.

Liam Byrne: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) produce estimates of long-term international migration of all nationalities, including British citizens and other EEA nationals. The requested information, relating to inward migration, has been extracted from this and is shown in the attached table.
	The latest available Home Office data relates to persons who are subject to immigration control and is published in table 2.2 of the Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics, United Kingdom 2005" which may be obtained from the Library of the House and from the Home Office website:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1 .html.
	The Home Office also publishes information on those accession state nationals who register with the Workers Registration Scheme. This data is available from the Home Office website:
	http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/accession_monitoring_report.
	
		
			  Long-term International Migration( 1) — Inflow to UK 
			Number (Thousand) 
			   Total international migration( 2)  International passenger survey 
			   All migrants( 3)  All migrants( 3)  Of which:  Work reasons( 4) 
			 2003 513 427 167 
			 2004 582 518 212 
			 2005 565 496 224 
			 (1) A long-term international migrant is defined as someone who changes his or her country of usual residence for a period of at least a year, so that the country of destination becomes the country of usual residence.  (2) Based mainly on data from the International Passenger Survey with adjustments for (1) those whose intended length of stay changes so that their migrant status changes; (2) asylum seekers and their dependants not identified by the IPS; and (3) flows between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.  (3) All long-term international migrants will become residents of the UK as they intend to stay here longer than one year.  (4) Work reasons covers those with a definite job to go to, looking for work, on 'business' (excludes diplomats, military personnel, merchant seamen and flight crews) and au pairs.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) were temporarily transferred to work on issues outside those covered by the IND between 8 and 12 January.

Liam Byrne: There were no specific temporary transfers of members of the Immigration Nationality Directorate (IND) staff to non-IND work between 8 and 12 January. Records show that as at 31 January, 371 members of IND's staff were on longer term loans from IND to other Government Departments and 75 on secondment to organisations outside the civil service.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate: Correspondence

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will reply to the letter of 13 October from the hon. Member for Warley on Mrs. Williams of Smethwick.

Liam Byrne: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my right hon. Friend on 9 February 2007.

Immigration Officers

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many  (a) ports,  (b) airports,  (c) landing stages and  (d) airfields the Immigration and Nationality Directorate had uniformed immigration officers (i) permanently and (ii) regularly located in (A) 2004, (B) 2005 and (C) 2006; and in how many such locations officers made at least one visit in each year.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 5 February 2007
	At present we are not a uniformed service but as of September 2007 the Immigration Service is on schedule to implement the full roll-out of uniforms for all operational frontline staff at ports and airports.
	We are unable to confirm whether officers made at least one visit in each year as the information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Independent Race Monitor

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recommendations the Independent Race Monitor made in each annual report between 2002-03 and 2005-06; and how many have been implemented.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  Year of report  Number of recommendations made  Number of recommendations already implemented 
			 2002-03 2 2 
			 2003-04 7 6 
			 2004-05 7 6 
			 2005-06 7 6

Informers

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether officers involved in the management of informants have been trained to Association of Chief Police Officers standards.

Tony McNulty: There are national standard training programmes, developed and endorsed by the Association of Chief Police Officers, for the management of covert human intelligence sources. This training is mandatory for those involved in source management.

Langley House Trust

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will renew funding awarded to Langley House Trust by the Public Protection Unit;
	(2)  how many offenders have committed a criminal offence whilst a resident in accommodation provided by Langley House Trust, broken down by category of offence.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Public Protection Unit in the National Offender Management Service will continue to fund Langley House Trust in the financial year 2007-08. Under the funding agreement, Langley House Trust will provide access to two enhanced supervision beds for offenders with a history of mental disorder and to a larger number of beds as move-on accommodation for offenders who have completed a period of residence in approved premises.
	In the 12 months to 31 March 2006, 19 Langley House Trust residents were convicted of further offences. The breakdown by offence category was as follows:
	
		
			  Offence category  Number 
			 Murder 1 
			 Arson 1 
			 Breaking and entering 1 
			 Theft and other property offences 9 
			 Drunk and disorderly or other summary public order offences 7

Leave to Remain

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time was for a decision to be reached on applications for leave to remain in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: We are unable to provide this information. Performance is measured in relation to the percentage of applications decided in a specific time periods (currently 20 and 70 working days).
	This information is summarised in the following table. It sets out the percentage of charged and non-charged applications decided within these periods:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  Turnaround time year to date  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Charged 20 working days 62 65 
			 Charged 70 working days 87 90 
			
			 Non-charged 20 working days 25 29 
			 Non-charged 70 working days 51 64

Leave to Remain

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what percentage of postal applications for leave to remain a decision on the case was reached within three weeks of receipt in the latest period for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: Performance for non-charged and charged applications is measured against targets of 20 and 70 working days.
	The year-to-date figures for the current financial year (April 2006 to January 2007) are as follows:
	48 per cent. of non-charged applications were completed within 20 working days and 80 per cent. were completed within 70 working days.
	During the same period 68 per cent. of charged applications were completed within 20 working days and 91 per cent. were completed within 70 working days.

Lincoln Prison

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any written records are held by the Prison Service of instructions given  (a) verbally and  (b) in writing to the Director General of the Prison Service by Ministers in his Department in October 2002 on control of the riot at Lincoln Prison; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There are no written records within the Home Office of discussions between the then Home Secretary and the then Director General of the Prison Service about the disturbance at Lincoln Prison on 23 October 2002.

Metropolitan Police: Ports

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers in the Metropolitan Police's Security Command are deployed at entry points to the UK.

Tony McNulty: The deployment of police officers within forces is an operational matter for individual chief constables.

MI5: Informers

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what arrangements are in place within MI5 to audit compliance with the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 in connection with the authorisation, review and overall employment of informants;
	(2)  what guidelines in relation to the management of informant payments and financial records have been adopted by MI5;
	(3)  whether M15 has implemented the National Intelligence Model;
	(4)  whether MI5 has reviewed the  (a) effectiveness and  (b) ethical status of its informers in Northern Ireland in terms similar to the CRAG review conducted by the Police Service for Northern Ireland;
	(5)  whether MI5 informers in Northern Ireland operate to the standards and requirements set by the CRAG review conducted by the Police Service for Northern Ireland, with particular reference to  (a) specific annual authorisations for membership or support of proscribed organisations and  (b) application to an equivalent officer to an Assistant Chief Constable for involvement in any criminal offence other than membership or support of a proscribed organisation;
	(6)  whether MI5 conducts risk assessments on informers equivalent to those recommended for the police by Association of Chief Police Officers;
	(7)  whether MI5 has adopted guidelines on obtaining information from members of the public who are not registered informants equivalent to those adopted by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in August 2004;
	(8)  what training MI5 informer handlers are required to have;
	(9)  whether operational risk advisers have been appointed within MI5.

Tony McNulty: The Security Service complies fully with the provisions of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act including the statutory Codes of Practice on Covert Human Intelligence Sources and covert surveillance.

MI5: Informers

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will initiate an inquiry into the failure of the Surveillance Commissioner to uncover the activities of Informer 1 identified in the report of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland into the murder of Raymond McCord junior and related matters prior to October 2003.

Tony McNulty: The Police Ombudsman found no failure on the part of the Chief Surveillance Commissioner.

Ministerial Speech

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse was for his event and speech on 4 January 2006.

Liam Byrne: The previous Home Secretary (Charles Clarke) did not give a speech on 4 January 2006. However, the current Home Secretary gave a political speech at Dunraven school, Streatham SW16 on 4 January 2007. The event was organised by the Labour Party. No civil permanent servants were involved in the organisation of the event.

Missing Persons

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many missing persons reports were made to the police in 2006; and how many related to children or young people.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 5 February 2007
	Operational policing information on the number of reports on missing persons made to the police is not collected centrally by the Home Office.

Mobile Phones: Drivers

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices were issued in Chorley for using hand-held mobile telephones when driving a motor vehicle in each year since the offence was introduced.

Vernon Coaker: Data are not available at either local authority and or constituency level.
	Available information taken from the annual Home Office publication "Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales Supplementary tables", for the Lancashire police force area, from 2003 to 2004 (latest available) is provided in the table.
	2005 data will be available later this year.
	
		
			  Fixed penalty notices issued( 1)  for the offence of use of hand held mobile phone while driving( 2,3)  within Lancashire police force area, 2003-2004 
			  Number of offences 
			   Fixed penalty notices issued( 1) 
			 2003 34 
			 2004 1,719 
			 (1) Only covers tickets paid i.e. no further action.  (2) Offences under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, Regulations 110 (1), 110 (2) and 110 (3). [Introduced 1 December 2003]  (3) Includes hand held mobile phone or similar hand-held devices while driving.   Note:  Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these data are used.

Motoring Offences

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of people convicted of  (a) driving without a licence,  (b) driving without insurance and  (c) driving without tax in each of the last five years were subsequently convicted of another offence.

Vernon Coaker: The most recent re-offending information for adults in England and Wales were published in November 2006 as: "Re-offending of Adults: results from the 2003 cohort". Home Office Statistical Bulletin 20/06. The report is available on line at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb2006.pdf.
	The report shows two-year re-offending rates broken down by offence type (Table A2), the offences above are contained under "other motoring offences", however due to the nature of offences in the question most people will not receive custodial or community sentences and hence will not be included in the sample. It is not practical to break down results by individual offences due to data quality, sample size, and resource issues.

National Probation Service for England and Wales: Complaints

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters of complaint he has received concerning the Probation Service in  (a) England,  (b) Hertfordshire and  (c) Hemel Hempstead in each month of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is not gathered centrally and may be available at disproportionate costs.

North Sea Camp Prison

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans there are to improve  (a) buildings and  (b) staff facilities in North Sea Camp prison, Lincolnshire in each of the next three years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Funding has been made available for the refurbishment of prisoner reception and for it to be converted to an offender management unit. Smaller items such as pipe lagging are being replaced as part of a programme of maintenance. Funding for further improvements will be considered in the new financial year. Approved projects will be included in the programme based on a number of factors including the changing priorities of building plans across the estate and availability of funds from the limited budget.

Oakhill Secure Training Centre

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department at what capacity Oakhill secure training centre in Milton Keynes is operating.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 5 February 2007
	The operational capacity of Oakhill is 80 places. On 31 January, 71 places were occupied.

Offender Accommodation

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what qualifications are required of voluntary sector managers to run accommodation schemes for offenders.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There is a variety of voluntary sector schemes providing, as their main function, accommodation services for offenders. Although there is no statutory requirement for managers of accommodation services to hold formal qualifications most schemes select staff against specific competencies and relevant experience. Therefore voluntary sector organisations managing premises approved by the Secretary of State recruit or second managers from the Probation Service who will have an appropriate probation qualification.
	In addition to note that the accommodation services provided for offenders by the voluntary sector through the Supporting People programme are accredited by the relevant local authorities in line with Communities and Local Government guidance.

Offenders: Bristol

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders tested positive for  (a) opiates and  (b) crack cocaine in Bristol between January and December 2006.

Vernon Coaker: Between January and December 2006, 4,192 tests for specified Class A drugs (heroin, cocaine/crack cocaine) were conducted as part of the drug interventions programme in Bristol.
	Of the 4,192 tests conducted, 2,022 tests were positive for specified Class A drugs, of which 1,112 tests were positive for both heroin and cocaine/crack, 402 tests were positive for  (a) opiates and 508 tests were positive for  (b) cocaine/crack.

Offenders: Deportation

Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government's strategy is for the deportation of non-UK citizens convicted of a criminal offence.

Liam Byrne: We have brought forward legislative proposals within the recently introduced UK Borders Bill.
	Copies of each of these statements are available from the Library of the House.

Parole

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners released on licence were recalled to prison in each year since 2001.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on the numbers of recalls of prisoners released on licence from prison establishments in England and Wales can be found in tables 10.7, 10.8 and 10.9 in the Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2005. This publication has recently been published and a copy is available in the House of Commons Library; it can also be accessed over the web at the website:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb1806.pdf
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, and although shown to the last individual the figures may not be accurate to that level.

Passports

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in Hemsworth constituency have been issued with a free passport.

Joan Ryan: The Identity and Passport Service does not ask passport holders to keep their address up to date on our database. Therefore, the Identity and Passport Service cannot identify the number of current residents by geographical area that have taken advantage of the scheme to issue free passports to those applicants born on or before 2 September 1929.
	From October 2004 when the concessionary scheme was introduced, until 31 December 2006, 398,615 people born on or before 2 September 1929 have been issued with free passports.

Passports: Applications

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to section 6 (7) of the Identity Cards Act 2006, whether applicants for passport renewal who apply solely for a passport prior to 1 January 2010 will be required to attend an interview centre.

Joan Ryan: During 2009 it is planned to introduce chips holding fingerprint details into passports, in line with new standards for passports issued by EU member states. Applicants for passport renewal will then need to attend an Identity and Passport Service interview office in order to record their fingerprints, regardless of whether they wish to be issued with an ID card in addition to the passport.

Passports: Northern Ireland

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many lost passports have been reported in Northern Ireland in each of the last 15 years.

Joan Ryan: It is not possible for the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) to identify how many passports were reportedly lost or stolen in Northern Ireland in the last 15 years. The IPS can provide information on passports replaced since 24 September 2001 when the current passport issuing system was introduced in the Belfast passport office which serves the Northern Ireland area. Improved arrangements for the reporting of lost and stolen passports came into effect in December 2003, and IPS can also provide information on reports of lost and stolen passports, for the calendar years of 2004, 2005 and 2006. These figures are set out as follows.
	
		
			   Replacement  Lost  Stolen  Other( 1) 
			 2001 1,916 — — — 
			 2002 11,497 — — — 
			 2003 11,988 — — — 
			 2004 — 9,496 1,959 582 
			 2005 — 9,615 1,117 544 
			 2006 — 11,998 1,287 599 
			 (1 )Other includes passports reported as damaged or destroyed.

Pentonville Prison

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recently concluded report of the investigation into allegations of staff corruption at HM Prison Pentonville;
	(2)  what progress has been made in investigations into alleged staff corruption at HM Prison Pentonville; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: No. It is not Prison Service policy to disclose the contents of internal investigations for reasons of confidentiality. Nine investigation reports have been concluded, and four disciplinary hearings have been opened. Three investigation reports are outstanding.

Police

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of police time was spent on frontline duties by  (a) Suffolk,  (b) Bedfordshire,  (c) Cambridgeshire,  (d) Essex,  (e) Hertfordshire and  (f) Norfolk constabularies in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: Information on time spent by police officers on front line duties has been collected since 2003-04 and is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage of time spent on front line policing—eastern region forces 
			  Percentage 
			  Force  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2008( 1) 
			 Bedfordshire 63.7 63.3 62.1 68.5 
			 Cambridgeshire 61.7 60.3 70.7 69.3 
			 Essex 56.9 60.9 62.7 70.3 
			 Hertfordshire 60.8 62.9 64.2 73.0 
			 Norfolk 59.8 62.9 66.7 70.3 
			 Suffolk 62.4 60.6 59.5 68.5 
			 (1) Target.

Police

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are employed in non-geographic police forces; and what the total budget was for all such forces in the last period for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: The non-geographical police forces, i.e. those which are established by legislation other than the Police Act 1996, are the responsibly of a number of sponsoring Secretaries of State but not the Home Secretary. The Home Office does not collect data on their total staffing and budgets.

Police Cells

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were housed in police cells during the recent activation of Operation Safeguard; how many have been housed in police cells since Operation Safeguard ended; what the cost of detaining inmates in police cells has been since the end of the activation of Operation Safeguard; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: During the period 12 October to 22 December, Operation Safeguard was used on around 4,500 occasions. These figures do not correspond precisely to the number of prisoners, as some prisoners may have been held in police cells for more than one night. Prisoners can also be held in "lockouts" under an informal agreement with police forces.
	From 22 December 2006 to 22 January 2007, during which Operation Safeguard was deactivated, the number of prisoners accommodated in police cells overnight varied on a daily basis and was dependent on court activity and the management of regional prison population pressures. Operation Safeguard was reactivated on 22 January.
	Police forces submit their costs in arrears and the cost cannot yet be calculated.

Police and Court Cells

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the Court Service on the use of court cells as overnight accommodation for prisoners.

John Reid: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) aims to maximise use of all available space within the prison estate. The chief executive of NOMS formally reactivated Operation Safeguard on Monday 22 January.
	The Home Office and the Department for Constitutional Affairs have been discussing the possibility of limited use of court cells on a contingency basis.

Police and Court Cells

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any prisoners have been housed overnight in a court cell since the introduction of Operation Safeguard.

John Reid: Yes. A small number of prisoners were housed overnight in court cells.

Police Community Support Officers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what initiatives his Department has introduced to promote public awareness of the difference between police community support officers and special constables.

Tony McNulty: None.

Police Stations: Wales

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) maintenance,  (b) operational,  (c) refurbishment and  (d) total running costs were for each police station in Wales in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The management of the police estate and costs associated with this are matters for each police authority and the chief officer, who are responsible for assessing local needs.

Police Stations: Wales

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police stations in Wales  (a) closed and  (b) opened in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The management of the police estate and allocation of resources are matters for each police authority and the Chief Officer.

Police: Complaints

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances the Independent Police Complaints Commission would require an investigation into the conduct of  (a) police officers and  (b) police employees to be carried out by a police service other than that which employs those subject to investigation; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which is an independent body established by the Police Reform Act 2002.

Police: East Midlands

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage change in total Government funding for each of the five East Midlands police forces was over the last three years.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is set out in the table.
	
		
			  Percentage change in total Government grants for East Midlands police forces 2004-05 to 2006-07 
			   2004-05( 1)  2005-06( 2)  2006-07( 3) 
			  Police authority  Total Government grants( 4)( ) (£ million)  Annual change in total grants  (Percentage)  Total Government grants  (£ million)  Annual change in total grants  (Percentage)  Adjusted total Government grants( 5)( ) (£ million)  Total Government grants  (£ million)  Annual change in total grants  (Percentage) 
			 Derbyshire(6) 111.9 3.0 116.8 4.4 117.1 117.9 0.7 
			 Leicestershire 112.7 3.7 119.3 5.9 119.0 124.6 4.7 
			 Lincolnshire 69.2 3.4 71.9 3.9 71.8 76.2 6.1 
			 Northamptonshire(7, 8) 72.6 1.5 76.6 5.5 76.6 80.2 4.7 
			 Nottinghamshire(7, 6) 141.9 4.3 147 3.6 146.6 146.6 0.0 
			 (1 )2004-05 actual increase in general grant for all police authorities was 3.25 per cent.  (2) 2005-06 the minimum increase in general grant for all police authorities was 3.75 per cent.  (3) 2006-07 the broadly flat rate increase in general grant for all police authorities was 3.1 per cent.  (4) Total Government grant comprises: Home Office Police Grant, Department for Communities and Local Government Revenue Support Grant and National Non-Domestic Rates; Specific Grants: Crime Fighting Fund, Basic Command Unit funding, Community Support Officer funding, Neighbourhood Policing Fund, Rural Policing Fund, Special Priority Payments, Forensic DNA Expansion Grant and Capital Grant.  (5) Adjusted for comparison purposes following the transfer of pensions and security funding from general grant in 2006-07.  (6) Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire's low annual change in total grant increases was due to the change in pension and security funding arrangements in 200607. They are receiving less in pensions grant because they need less.  (7) The Police Standards Unit have been working with Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire police forces since spring 2004 on a number of projects to help improve performance. The forces have been provided with £0.8 million (Northants) £0.7 million (Notts) for 2004-05, £1.2 million (Northants) £0.6 million (Notts) for 2005-06 and an estimated £0.5 million (Northants) £0.6 million (Notts) for 2006-07 in project funding. (Included above).  (8) Northamptonshire received a large one off payment for Airwave in 2003-04 which reduced their overall funding increase.

Police: Firearms

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many authorised firearm officers were employed in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) the West Midlands police authority area in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 8 February 2007
	The number of authorised firearms officers in police forces in England and Wales since 1996-97 are shown in the following table. Statistics for 2005-06 are likely to be announced in the spring.
	
		
			  Number of authorised firearms officers (AFOs) 1996-97 to 2004-05 
			   1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 Avon and Somerset 165 161 153 150 135 116 84 122 118 
			 Bedfordshire 46 42 50 46 45 48 53 58 56 
			 Cambridgeshire 90 80 80 77 73 56 71 60 60 
			 Cheshire 70 82 70 75 74 81 89 75 76 
			 Cleveland 86 84 78 80 75 85 80 95 100 
			 City of London 88 81 55 73 74 73 72 86 89 
			 Cumbria 108 122 98 98 94 92 87 89 90 
			 Derbyshire 110 100 87 77 81 80 69 70 74 
			 Devon and Cornwall 151 147 82 119 100 108 115 132 123 
			 Dorset 74 72 72 66 67 57 59 60 64 
			 Durham 138 144 96 101 101 36 102 97 103 
			 Essex 228 217 235 228 195 180 184 186 202 
			 Gloucestershire 82 84 79 77 72 71 30 82 93 
			 Greater Manchester 209 182 217 218 240 219 202 205 187 
			 Hampshire 106 112 110 111 100 87 94 94 92 
			 Hertfordshire 42 41 43 52 44 46 47 50 53 
			 Humberside 90 102 102 97 102 96 96 96 101 
			 Kent 150 150 130 136 136 113 93 90 94 
			 Lancashire 132 125 132 143 132 138 129 122 115 
			 Leicestershire 104 94 90 90 85 69 68 51 53 
			 Lincolnshire 82 85 75 78 80 91 87 78 86 
			 Merseyside 147 165 121 96 103 78 84 94 93 
			 Metropolitan 2,035 1,971 1,951 1,977 1,940 1,805 1,823 2,060 2,134 
			 Norfolk 98 102 109 110 114 104 109 114 125 
			 Northamptonshire 92 92 92 75 77 51 56 52 50 
			 Northumbria 173 126 123 114 109 125 99 90 93 
			 North Yorkshire 108 95 83 59 66 66 64 60 56 
			 Nottinghamshire 128 129 120 116 137 136 131 138 138 
			 South Yorkshire 110 108 90 100 98 92 100 98 122 
			 Staffordshire 78 86 92 81 67 71 63 67 76 
			 Suffolk 82 96 101 98 90 90 80 96 88 
			 Surrey 76 61 69 71 72 62 48 53 49 
			 Sussex 180 146 156 131 118 120 141 134 130 
			 Thames Valley 185 194 179 187 185 156 180 172 176 
			 Warwickshire 41 38 44 54 45 50 51 46 53 
			 West Mercia 155 159 139 129 130 125 131 139 141 
			 West Midlands 88 95 92 93 83 111 110 124 134 
			 West Yorkshire 131 114 128 110 117 116 132 140 130 
			 Wiltshire 134 105 88 89 71 71 78 80 74 
			 Dyfed Powys 70 71 67 65 61 77 62 58 79 
			 Gwent 70 59 64 68 66 57 60 71 74 
			 North Wales 72 90 97 92 67 83 75 73 65 
			 South Wales 134 176 169 155 143 138 125 139 134

Police: Forms

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the net change in the number of police reporting forms since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The information required to make such an assessment is not held centrally.

Police: Manpower

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many additional police officers the Government made a commitment to deliver  (a) in England and Wales and  (b) in North Yorkshire in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The Crime Fighting Fund, introduced in April 2000, provided specific grant for police forces to recruit 9,650 additional police officers over and above their own recruitment plans in the four years to March 2004. There was a target for police numbers to reach 132,500 by March 2004.
	From April 2004 the rules of the Crime Fighting Fund worked in such a way as to require forces to maintain police numbers above an annually determined level. The following table sets out the Crime Fighting Fund threshold and actual strength achieved for England and Wales and for North Yorkshire police for each year from 2004.
	In December 2006 we announced that the system of penalties for falling below target strength was suspended following representations from the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities.
	North Yorkshire's share of the Crime Fighting Fund was sufficient to recruit an additional 72 police officers—four in 2000-01, 39 in 2001-02, 25 in 2002-03 and four in 2003-04. Since 2004 North Yorkshire has received £1.95 million in continuation funding for these posts.
	
		
			  Crime fighting fund police numbers threshold 2004 to 2006 
			   England and Wales  North Yorkshire 
			   Target strength  Actual strength( 1)  (31 March)  Target strength  Actual strength (31 March) 
			 2003-04 132,500 139,200 1,533 1,529 
			 2004-05 137,459 141,230 1,529 1,543 
			 2005-06 136,310 141,381 1,495 1,636 
			 (1) Total police officer strength including officers on secondment published in Home Office statistics bulletins on police numbers.

Police: Manpower

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total cost of pay in the police service was in each year since 1997-98; and how many staff were employed in the police service in each year.

Tony McNulty: The answers are given in the following tables.
	
		
			  (a) National Police Staff (FTE) 
			   Police Officers  PCSOs  Staff  Total 
			 1997 125,051 — 53,011 178,062 
			 1998 124,756 — 52,975 177,731 
			 1999 123,841 — 53,031 176,872 
			 2000 121,956 — 53,227 175,183 
			 2001 123,476 — 54,588 178,064 
			 2002 127,267 — 58,909 186,176 
			 2003 131,426 1,176 63,105 195,707 
			 2004 137,105 3,418 68,693 209,216 
			 2005 139,495 6,214 71 ,209 216,918 
			 2006 139,633 6,769 74,563 220,965 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Total employee salaries (from CIPFA police statistics) 
			  Actual  £000 
			 1997-98 4,958,932 
			 1998-99 5,243,191 
			 1999-2000 5,445,375 
			 2000-01 5,651,442 
			 2001-02 6,001,783 
			 2002-03 6,422,610 
			 2003-04 7,023,401 
			 2000-05 7,554,626 
			 2005-06 8,842,405

Police: Manpower

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers per thousand of the population there are  (a) in England and Wales and  (b) in each of the police forces in the Yorkshire and the Humber region.

Tony McNulty: These data have previously been published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin, Police Service Strength, England and Wales, 31st March 2006 (13/06), which is available in the Library of the House and can be downloaded from:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb1306.pdf

Police: Ports

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent officers there are in each of the ports police forces.

Tony McNulty: Ports police forces are non-Home Office forces, with officers of these forces being sworn in as constables under section 79 of the Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847. As these police forces do not come under the administration of the Home Office, the requested information is not collected centrally by the Department.

Pornography: Children

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there have been of those under the age of  (a) 18 and  (b) 16 years for the possession of child pornography.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table shows data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, namely the number of defendants under18 years convicted for the possession of child pornography.
	
		
			  Number of defendants aged under 18 years and under 16 years convicted of selected child pornography offences at all courts, England and Wales, 2005( 1, 2) 
			   Statute  Offence  Aged 10 to 15  Aged 16 to 17  Total 
			 8602 Protection of Children Act 1978 Section 1 as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec 84 and Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 S.41(1). Take, permit to be taken, or to make distribute or publish indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children 3 6 9 
			 8610 Criminal Justice Act 1988 Sec. 160 as amended by the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000. Possession of an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph. — 2 2 
			  Total  3 8 11 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Prison Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average prison sentence handed down by courts was for  (a) violent crimes and  (b) non-violent crimes in each of the last five years; and what the average sentence served was of prisoners in each category who were released in each of these years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The average custodial sentence length given for these offences in the years 2001 to 2005 is given in the table. However, it should be noted that comparisons between 2001 and 2005 are problematic, since offenders receiving an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection for a serious offence from April 2005 would previously have received a lengthy determinate sentence that would have been included in the calculation of average custodial sentence length. These longer sentences are now effectively excluded from the calculation.
	Information on the average time served for all offences is published in Table 10.1 of "Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2005" (Home Office Statistical Bulletin No. 18/06) (on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/omcsq405.pdf).
	
		
			  Average custodial sentence length for violent and other offences, England and Wales, 2001 to 2005 
			  Offence   Average custodial sentence length( 1 ) (months) 
			  Violent offences( 2) 2001 24.4 
			  2002 26.7 
			  2003 27.2 
			  2004 26.8 
			  2005 (3)24.8 
			
			  Other offences( 4)   
			  2001 9.2 
			  2002 9.5 
			  2003 9.5 
			  2004 9.7 
			  2005 (3)9.8 
			 (1) Excluding life and indeterminate sentences.  (2) Violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery.  (3) Offenders receiving an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection for a serious offence from April 2005 would previously have received a lengthy determinate sentence that would have been included in the calculation of average custodial sentence length. These longer sentences are now effectively excluded from the calculation. This may result in a decrease in average custodial sentence lengths.  (4) All other offences (indictable and summary).   Note:  Although care is taken in collating and analysing the returns used to compile these figures, the data are of necessity subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Consequently, although figures are shown to the last digit in order to provide a comprehensive record of the information collected, they are not necessarily accurate to the last digit shown.   Source:  DS-NOMS, Home Office.

Prison Service

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms exist to monitor the implementation of the Service Level Agreement at HM Prison Wandsworth; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 25 January 2007
	The London Regional Offender Manager (ROM) monitors the performance at HMP Wandsworth through its Service Level Agreement with HM Prison Service.
	Formal meetings between the Regional Offender Manager and HM Prison Service's Area Manager for London prisons take place on a quarterly basis. Additionally, the Regional Offender Manager's representative and the Area Manager's representative also meet regularly. If required by either party, meetings may be held more frequently.
	Performance against targets is reported by HM Prison Service using monthly data returns and reports are submitted to NOMS and sent to the Regional Offender Manager. The Regional Offender Manager has access to information from other sources, including site visits by his team, Independent Monitoring Board reports, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons reports, and reports by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.
	The Regional Offender Manager, or their representative, has access at all reasonable times to HMP Wandsworth, and undertakes a minimum of quarterly visits to the establishment.

Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the outcome was of the assessment of the Service Level Agreement at HM Prison Wandsworth after the first six months of its implementation; who undertook the assessment; who is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Service Level Agreement at HM Prison Wandsworth; and if he will place a copy of the report of the assessment in the Library.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The assessment was commissioned by the Chief Executive of NOMS to establish the progress made at HMP Wandsworth six months after they were awarded a Service Level Agreement for successfully completing the Performance Test.
	Her assessment was that overall, HMP Wandsworth had made encouraging progress and that with the new management team in place, the signs were that performance would continue to improve.
	The assessment fieldwork was completed by a multi-disciplinary group of staff from across NOMS and HM Prison Service.
	The Regional Offender Manager for London, Steve Murphy, is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Service Level Agreement at HM Prison Wandsworth.
	A copy of the assessment report will not be placed in the Library as it contains operationally sensitive material.

Prison Service

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will increase the percentage of the Prison Service budget which is spent on education.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Responsibility for the principal budgets that meet the costs of learning and skills for offenders in custody, and in the community, now rests with the Department for Education and Skills. Decisions about the overall budget for offender learning rests with Ministers there.

Prison Service

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the established Prison Service staff complement is in post in each prison in England and Wales.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on the percentage of planned posts that are filled in each prison in England and Wales is contained in the following table. These figures include all posts, both operational and non-operational. For the public sector they reflect the impact of additional hours worked through contracted supplementary hours (CSH) and agency staffing.
	
		
			  Percentage of staffing requirement in post having included CSH and agency staff( 1) , as at 31 December 2006 
			  Prison  Percentage 
			 Acklington l00 
			 Albany l00 
			 Ashwell l00 
			 Askham Grange 97 
			 Aylesbury 99 
			 Bedford 93 
			 Belmarsh 91 
			 Birmingham 99 
			 Blakenhurst 98 
			 Blantyre House 99 
			 Blundeston 97 
			 Brinsford 98 
			 Bristol 99 
			 Brixton 92 
			 Brockhill 89 
			 Buckley Hall 100 
			 Bullingdon 98 
			 Bullwood Hall(2) 88 
			 Camp Hill 96 
			 Canterbury 98 
			 Cardiff 99 
			 Castington 97 
			 Channings Wood 99 
			 Chelmsford 92 
			 Coldingley 97 
			 Cookham Wood/East Sutton Park 89 
			 Dartmoor 96 
			 Deerbolt 97 
			 Dorchester 95 
			 Dover 100 
			 Downview 97 
			 Drake Hall 97 
			 Durham 97 
			 Eastwood Park 94 
			 Edmunds Hill 97 
			 Elmley 100 
			 Erlestoke 91 
			 Everthorpe 100 
			 Exeter 100 
			 Featherstone 98 
			 Feltham 92 
			 Ford 90 
			 Foston Hall 91 
			 Frankland 94 
			 Full Sutton 100 
			 Garth 100 
			 Gartree 94 
			 Glen Parva 95 
			 Gloucester 99 
			 Grendon 96 
			 Guys Marsh 93 
			 Haslar 98 
			 Haverigg 100 
			 Hewell Grange 100 
			 High Down 98 
			 Highpoint 98 
			 Hindley 100 
			 Hollesley Bay 100 
			 Holloway 97 
			 Holme House 98 
			 Hull 100 
			 Huntercombe 94 
			 Kingston 99 
			 Kirkham 94 
			 Kirklevington Grange 99 
			 Lancaster 100 
			 Lancaster Farms 100 
			 Latchmere House 99 
			 Leeds 97 
			 Leicester 100 
			 Lewes 95 
			 Leyhill 92 
			 Lincoln 100 
			 Lindholme 100 
			 Littlehey 100 
			 Liverpool 99 
			 Long Lartin 96 
			 Low Newton 100 
			 Maidstone 92 
			 Manchester 97 
			 Moorland 100 
			 Morton Hall 100 
			 New Hall 100 
			 North Sea Camp 95 
			 Northallerton 98 
			 Norwich 97 
			 Nottingham 96 
			 Onley 92 
			 Parkhurst 99 
			 Pentonville 100 
			 Portland 98 
			 Preston 100 
			 Ranby 97 
			 Reading 100 
			 Risley 100 
			 Rochester 98 
			 Send 95 
			 Shepton Mallet 94 
			 Shrewsbury 98 
			 Stafford 96 
			 Standford Hill 98 
			 Stocken 95 
			 Stoke Heath 97 
			 Styal 100 
			 Sudbury 99 
			 Swaleside 100 
			 Swansea 99 
			 Swinfen Hall 98 
			 The Mount 94 
			 The Verne 97 
			 Thorn Cross 99 
			 Usk/Prescoed 99 
			 Wakefield 95 
			 Wandsworth 91 
			 Warren Hill 100 
			 Wayland 99 
			 Wealstun 98 
			 Weare 100 
			 Wellingborough 96 
			 Werrington 94 
			 Wetherby 100 
			 Whatton 97 
			 Whitemoor 93 
			 Winchester 98 
			 Woodhill 93 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 100 
			 Wymott 97 
			 (1) Information has been derived from the Personnel Corporate Database, Oracle HRMS and quarterly forecast change forms completed by each establishment. Where an establishment has recorded a surplus of staff this has not been used to off-set the shortfalls. (2) Vacancy level at Bullwood Hall has now been reduced to 1.5 posts. 
		
	
	
		
			  Private prisons 
			  Prison  Percentage staff requirement in post 
			 Altcourse 100 
			 Ashfield 93 
			 Bronzefield 100 
			 Doncaster 95 
			 Dovegate 91 
			 Forest Bank 97 
			 Lowdham Grange 93 
			 Parc (1)— 
			 Peterborough 96 
			 Rye hill 98 
			 Wolds 100 
			 (1 )100 per cent. operational, 94 per cent. non-operational.  Source: Private prisons information has been obtained from the Home Office, on behalf of Serco, GSL, G4S, and KALYX human resources databases.

Prison Service

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to increase the number of prison officers in the Prison Service.

Gerry Sutcliffe: A new Prison Service Business Change Team has been set up to plan and coordinate recruitment activity, and the transfer of experienced staff, to resource new prisoner places. Normal recruitment of prison officers continues, and is largely managed at area level to ensure that staffing numbers meet local needs and operate within acceptable operating margins.

Prison Service: Discrimination

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to eradicate homophobia among prison governors; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In 2001 a requirement was introduced for all prison governors to attend diversity training which included a session which challenged homophobic attitudes. This requirement lasted for three years. The public sector Prison Service is now developing plans for a new diversity training strategy for 2007-08. Prison Service orders, issued for action by all governors, make it clear that all staff have the right to work in an environment that is free from harassment including homophobia and homophobic bullying.

Prisoners

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on taxi and mini-cab fares in the transport of prisoners in each of the last three years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information concerning taxis and mini-cab fares could be obtained from all prisons only at disproportionate cost.

Prisoners on Remand

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners on remand there were in England and Wales in each year since 2000; and how many of these received a custodial sentence.

John Reid: Information on the numbers of prisoners held on remand in prison establishments in England and Wales in each year since 2000 can be found in table 8.1 in the Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2005, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library, and which can also be accessed at the website:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1806section8.xls
	Information on the proportion of prisoners held on remand whose final outcome was to receive a custodial sentence can be found in table 7.11 of the same publication and at the following website:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1806section7.xls
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and although shown to the last individual the figures may not be accurate to that level.

Prisoners Release

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time was spent in category D conditions before release by  (a) violent offenders and  (b) non-violent offenders in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Comprehensive information on the movement of prisoners within the prison establishments of England and Wales between categories of detention in the way requested in the question is not held centrally and would not be available without disproportionate cost.

Prisoners Release: Homicide

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) murders,  (b) manslaughters and  (c) other categories of unlawful killing have been committed by convicted criminals released (i) halfway through their sentences and (ii) earlier than the full period to which they were sentenced, in each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 1 February 2007
	The information is not available in the precise form requested. However, information on the number of murders, manslaughter and unlawful killings that were committed by offenders under the supervision of the Probation Service between 1998 and 2003 was published in Probation Statistics for England and Wales 1999 and Home Office Statistical Bulletin 15/04.

Prisoners: Mentally Ill

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 1705-06W, on prisons, how many prisoners were identified as suffering from mental illness in each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 6 February 2007
	The information requested is not held centrally.
	A survey, "Psychiatric morbidity among prisoners in England and Wales" (Office for National Statistics, 1998) showed that 90 per cent. of prisoners have at least one significant mental health problem, including personality disorder, psychosis, neurosis, alcohol misuse and drug dependence. A copy is available in the Library.
	Mental health services for prisoners have been a key part of the Government's recent reforms of health services for prisoners. The Department of Health is now investing £20 million a year in NHS mental health in-reach services for prisoners. These are community mental health teams working within prisons and are now available in 102 prisons, with some 360 extra staff employed. Every prison in England and Wales has access to these services. Information on how many prisoners receive these services is not collected centrally.

Prisoners: Mentally Ill

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the proportion of the prison population in each London prison who suffer from mental illness; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 9 February 2007
	The information requested is not held centrally. A survey, 'Psychiatric Morbidity among Prisoners in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics, 1997)' showed that 90 per cent. of prisoners have at least one significant mental health problem, including personality disorder, psychosis, neurosis, alcohol misuse and drug dependence. A copy is available in the Library.
	Mental health services for prisoners have been a key part of the government's recent reforms of health services for prisoners. The Department of Health is now investing £20 million a year in NHS mental health in-reach services for prisoners. These are community mental health teams working within 102 prisons, with some 360 extra staff employed. Every prison in England and Wales has access to these services.

Prisoners: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many defendants convicted in courts in Wales received a custodial sentence of six months or more in each of the last six months; and to which prisons those convicted were sent to serve their sentences.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 6 February 2007
	The last six months for which figures are currently available are July to December 2005. The information is contained in the table.
	The court proceedings database from which these figures are extracted does not contain details as to where these sentences are served. In any case, the establishment to which a person is initially committed may not be the establishment where the greater part of the sentence is served.
	
		
			  Number of persons sentenced to immediate custody of six months or more by courts( 1)  in Wales 
			  July to December 2005  Number of persons sentenced 
			 July 236 
			 August 218 
			 September 209 
			 October 177 
			 November 194 
			 December 176 
			 (1) Includes cases heard at Crown court centres outside Wales if committed by magistrates courts in Wales.  Note: Although care is taken in collating and analysing the returns used to compile these figures, the data are of necessity subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Consequently, although figures are shown to the last digit in order to provide a comprehensive record of the information collected, they are not necessarily accurate to the last digit shown.  Source:  RDS-NOMS, Home Office

Prisons

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on the taking of illegal drugs in prisons; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The taking of illicit drugs in prison is not tolerated. A comprehensive framework of initiatives is in place to reduce the amount of illegal drugs getting into prisons. Robust measures are in place to deal with those individuals who use drugs in prison or who attempt to supply drugs into prisons.

Prisons

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many prison places he plans to bring into use from  (a) refurbishment,  (b) new build on existing sites and  (c) new build on sites that do not currently house a prison in each of the next five years;
	(2)  what funds have been allocated for capital works on the prison estate on  (a) refurbishment,  (b) new build on existing sites and  (c) new build on sites that do not currently house a prison in each of the next five years.

John Reid: NOMS undertakes a rolling programme of refurbishment on the prison estate. As schemes come back into use following refurbishment, other schemes are taken forward and the accommodation is taken out of use.
	Around 10,000 places are planned to be delivered over the next five years. Approximately half will be on sites not currently occupied by prisons. The programme is still in the planning stages and the number of places to be provided in each of the next five years has not been finalised.
	The estimated capital cost of this new capacity is around £1.7 billion. The breakdown of costs in each of the next five years has not yet been finalised.

Prisons

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he receives daily reports from the Prison Service on the number of prisoners housed outside the prison estate during the previous night.

John Reid: The number of prisoners held in police cells is available as management information to Ministers on a daily basis.

Prisons

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vacant prison places there are for male category  (a) A,  (b) B,  (c) C and  (d) D prisoners in England and Wales.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Only adult male sentenced prisoners are allocated a category of A, B, C or D. Categorisation takes into account a number of factors, one of which is security. A prisoner must be assigned to the correct security category even if it may not be possible to allocate the prisoner to a particular establishment for prisoners in that category. Therefore, as prison places can hold a variety of category of prisoner (but not a higher category than the prison is designated to hold), it is not possible to calculate the number of vacant prison places for each category.

Prisons

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vacant prison places there are for female prisoners in  (a) category A,  (b) open and  (c) closed prisons in England and Wales.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Female prisoners are categorised as suitable for open, semi-open or closed conditions. A prisoner must be assigned to the correct security category even if it may not be possible to allocate the prisoner to a particular establishment for prisoners in that category. Therefore, as prison places can hold a variety of category of prisoner (but not a higher category than the prison is designated for), it is not possible to calculate the number of vacant prison places for female prisoners in open and closed conditions.

Prisons

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether the National Offender Management scheme is pursuing a site for a new prison in  (a) South Wales and  (b) North Wales;
	(2)  whether the National Offender Management Scheme has tested any locations for new prisons suggested in the business case presented by the North Wales Criminal Justice Board.

Gerry Sutcliffe: A national site search is under way, with South Wales one of a number of priority areas due to strategic need. Other priority areas include London, the North West and the West Midlands.
	North Wales is not currently included in these priorities. However, the National Offender Management Service continues to investigate all options for providing further increases in capacity.

Prisons

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were transferred from Category C prisons to Ford Prison in each month since 1 January 2006; what category of offence had been committed by each of those prisoners; and what the term of the prison sentence was in each case.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prisons

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the prison places to be provided by the new prison HMP Kennet in Merseyside are  (a) part of and  (b) in addition to the 8,000 extra places promised by 2012.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The places provided at HMP Kennet are additional to the 8,000-place building programme as announced in July 2006.

Prisons: Overcrowding

George Young: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has approached the Scottish Executive for assistance in relieving overcrowding in prisons in England and Wales.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Prisoners sentenced in England and Wales cannot, as a matter of course, be held in Scottish prisons due to the differing legal jurisdictions.

Prisons: Overcrowding

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has made an assessment of the effects of Operation Safeguard on front line policing.

Tony McNulty: The number of police cells made available under Operation Safeguard is at the discretion of Chief Constables who take their operational needs into account.

Prisons: Overcrowding

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police cells have been taken over for use as part of Operation Safeguard; and on how many occasions each cell has been so used.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There are up to 400 places available in police cells in England and Wales under Operation Safeguard.
	The number of prisoners held in police cells varies on a daily basis and is dependent on court activity and the management of regional prison population pressures.

Prisons: Wales

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether the National Offender Management Service in Wales is actively pursuing the establishment of a new prison facility in Wales;
	(2)  whether the National Offender Management Service in Wales has actively tested any of the locations suggested in the business case presented by the North Wales Criminal Justice Board for suitability for a new prison facility.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 8 February 2007
	The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is currently undertaking searches to identify sites for new prisons in areas of highest demand for prison places. The priority search areas are London and the Thames corridor, South Wales, the North West and the West Midlands. NOMS is aware of the site proposed by the North Wales Local Criminal Justice Board in evidence to the Welsh Affairs Committee in December 2006. The site is considerably smaller than those under consideration for development as a new prison.

Private Prisons

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many assaults there were on  (a) staff and  (b) prisoners at each private prison in 2005-06.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   1 January 2005-31 December 2005  1 January 2006-31 December 2006 
			  Prison  Number of assaults on staff  Number of assaults on prisoners  Number of assaults on staff  Number of assaults on prisoners 
			 Altcourse 44 200 36 199 
			 Ashfield 153 501 129 625 
			 Bronzefield 85 95 76 115 
			 Doncaster 24 96 46 145 
			 Dovegate 35 69 58 66 
			 Forest Bank 82 431 50 344 
			 Lowdham Grange 16 37 34 74 
			 Parc 41 229 48 245 
			 Peterborough 72 104 137 226 
			 Rye Hill 65 53 48 61 
			 Wolds 3 23 8 34

Private Prisons

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any private prison has been refinanced by a holding or partner company.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There are no private prisons that have been refinanced by a holding or partner company.

Private Prisons

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unfilled posts there were in the Prison Service in  (a) public and  (b) private prisons in each of the last 12 months.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The number of unfilled posts for the last five quarters is shown in the following tables. These figures include all posts, both operational and non-operational, across the whole Prison Service. For the public sector they reflect the impact of additional hours worked through contracted supplementary hours and agency staffing. The number of unfilled posts represent around 3 per cent. of all posts.
	
		
			  Public sector 
			  Date( 1)  Shortfall on staffing requirement having included CSH and agency staff( 2) 
			 31 December 2005 1,335 
			 31 March 2006 1,534 
			 30 June 2006 1,463 
			 30 September 2006 1,228 
			 31 December 2006 1,480 
			 (1) Staffing requirements are centrally reported quarterly and therefore the number of unfilled posts is only available for the end of each quarter. (2) Information has been derived from the Personnel Corporate Database, Oracle HRMS and Quarterly Forecast Change Forms completed by each establishment. Where an establishment has recorded a surplus of staff this has not been used to off-set shortfalls of others. 
		
	
	
		
			  Private prisons 
			   Shortfall on staffing requirement( 1) 
			 January 181 
			 February 177 
			 March 206 
			 April 190 
			 May 186 
			 June 146 
			 July 155 
			 August 182 
			 September 181 
			 October 187 
			 November 181 
			 December 198 
			 (1) Private prisons information has been obtained from the Home Office, on behalf of Serco, GSL, G4S, and KALYX human resources databases.

Probation Service

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the projected balance is in the national probation budget for 2006-07; and what consequences are expected for service delivery.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The overall budget for 2006-07 for the national probation service is £883 million. The current projected out-turn is within 0.5 per cent. of this figure.
	There are 13 main probation performance indicators which can be compared with 2005-06. For the period April to September 2006, the performance against 10 of these indicators is equal to or exceeding the 2005-06 performance.

Prospect Hostel, Exeter

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average annual cost was of running approved premises performing similar functions to the Prospect Hostel in Exeter in 2005-06.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Approved premises in the main estate do not perform directly comparable functions to the Prospects premises. Whereas most approved premises are a public protection resource for the management of high risk offenders, the Prospects premises were established to provide an accommodation, interventions and support package targeted at released prisoners convicted of acquisitive crimes to fund their drug habit.
	In 2005-06 the average grant payment to an approved premises in the mainstream estate was £535,730.

Prostitution

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of prostitutes who were  (a) addicted to drugs,  (b) born outside the UK and  (c) victims of human trafficking in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It is not possible to provide precise figures as so much prostitution is hidden from view. However published Home Office research has looked at the numbers involved who are drug addicted and has provided broad estimates of the numbers of people trafficked into the UK for the purposes of prostitution. Information on the proportion born outside the UK is not available.
	A Home Office Research Study in 2004 profiled 228 women involved in street-based prostitution. It found 87 per cent. were using heroin and 64 per cent. crack cocaine. Anecdotal evidence from respondents to the Home Office led review of prostitution in 2004 suggested that a high proportion—in many areas, almost all—of those involved in street-based prostitution are Class A drug users. Home Office funded research in 2000 found that 71 women were known to have been trafficked into prostitution in the UK in 1998. Using this figure as a baseline the research estimated that there may have been between 142 and 1,420 women trafficked into the UK during the same period.
	A research paper on sizing UK organised crime markets and their associated harms will be published in early 2007. Emerging findings suggest that at any one moment in time in 2003 there were around 4,000 victims of trafficking for prostitution in the UK.

Prostitution

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many successful prosecutions relating to  (a) soliciting by a prostitute,  (b) kerb crawling and  (c) the operation of a brothel there were in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform on the number of defendants convicted at all courts for various offences in England and Wales, 1996 to 2005, relating to prostitution can be found in the following table:
	
		
			  The number of defendants convicted at all courts for various offences relating to prostitution in England and Wales, 1996-2005( 1, 2, 3) 
			  Statute  Offence Description  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Sexual Offences Act 1956, section 33A as added by Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 55 Keeping a brothel used for prostitution — — — — — — — — 4 8 
			 Sexual Offences Act 1956, section 32 Man soliciting or importuning in a public place for immoral purposes 68 47 42 16 9 5 3 9 3 2 
			 Sexual Offences Act 1956, section 33 Keeping a brothel 24 20 12 29 13 6 7 4 15 11 
			 Sexual Offences Act 1956, section 34 Letting premises for use as a brothel 2 2 — 1 — — — — — — 
			 Sexual Offences Act 1956, section 35 Tenant permitting premises to be used as a brothel 1 2 — 2 — — — — — — 
			 Sexual Offences Act 1956, section 36 Tenant permitting premises to be used for prostitution 3 — — — 1 1 — — — — 
			 Sexual Offences Act 1956, section 33 as amended by Sexual Offences Act 1967, section 6 Keeping a brothel for homosexual practices — — — — — — 1 — — — 
			 Sexual Offences Act 1985, section 1 Kerb-crawling 1,096 813 700 599 700 775 891 834 760 635 
			 Sexual Offences Act 1985, section 2 Persistent soliciting of women for the purpose of prostitution 56 68 65 51 26 66 102 50 48 34 
			 Vagrancy Act 1824, section 3. Vagrancy Act 1824, section 4 Offences by prostitutes, common prostitute behaving in a riotous and indecent manner in a public place. Offences by prostitutes: Second conviction as an idle and disorderly person 7 7 4 4 1 3 7 17 6 1 
			 Street Offences Act 1959, section 1 Common prostitute loitering or soliciting for the purpose of prostitution 5,429 5,695 5,223 3,378 3,385 2,841 2,668 2,627 1,735 1,116 
			 Other offences relating to prostitution Other offences relating to prostitution — — — 3 — — — — — — 
			 Total — 6,686 6,654 6,046 4,083 4,135 3,697 3,679 3,541 2,571 1,807 
			 — = Nil.  (1) These data are on the principal offence basis.  (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (3) Staffordshire Police Force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates' courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.   Source:  RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

Public Order Offences

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place for those people who cannot afford to pay a penalty disorder notice when issued with one.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 9 February 2007
	Penalty Notices for Disorder (PND) provide the police with a swift non-bureaucratic disposal option to deal with minor offences. They are fixed penalty. There is no means test as part of the process of issuing PNDs and it would be impractical and overly bureaucratic to seek means information before issuing a ticket. Payment must be made in full; the current PND computer processing system precludes payment by instalments. If the recipient does not pay the penalty or request a court hearing, a fine at one and a half times the penalty amount is registered against the recipient and enforced in the same way as any other fine. However, operational guidance to the police advises officers that PNDs may not be appropriate for a suspect who appears to be destitute.

Public Order Offences

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many penalty disorder notices were issued  (a) in England and Wales and  (b) by the West Midlands Police Authority in each of the last three years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 9 February 2007
	The penalty notices for disorder (PND) scheme was brought into effect in England and Wales in 2004 to provide police with a quick and effective means of dealing with a number of minor disorder offences. Under the scheme, a fixed penalty is issued to the offender who has 21 days to either pay the fine or seek a court hearing
	Data on the number of PNDs issued for all offences in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) the West Midlands Police Authority in 2004 and 2005, as well as provisional data for January to June 2006 are provided in the following table. Full provisional data for 2006 will be available in April 2007.
	
		
			  Number of PNDs issued to offenders aged 16 and over in the west midlands police force area and England and Wales 2004-05 and January to June 2006 (provisional data)( 1) 
			  Police force area  2004  2005  2006( 2)  Total 
			 West midlands 4,773 7,320 3,697 15,790 
			 England and Wales 63,639 146,481 88,911 299,031 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (2) January to June (provisional figures)

Rape

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has conducted on the merits of the use of lie detection tests in rape cases.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Home Office commissioned the pilot use of polygraph (lie detection) testing of sex offenders in 10 Probation Areas. The pilot lasted for two years, between September 2003 and September 2005. 347 offenders volunteered for testing, 33 per cent. of whom (116) were tested on two or more occasions. In total, 483 polygraph examinations were carried out. The majority of offenders tested had been convicted of offences against children: 166 (48 per cent.) of contact offences against children, 111 (32 per cent.) of internet related offences, with 70 (20 per cent.) for offences classified as other sex offences. Rapists were not separately classified but were among this 20 per cent. of the sample. The main aim of the study was to assist Offender Managers in risk assessment and risk management based on new disclosures made by offenders during the examination. Overall new disclosures relevant to treatment or supervision were made in 70 per cent. of tests. However, the report does not provide information on differences between offence types and, as the sample was of volunteers, no firm conclusions may be drawn from it as to whether the disclosures are attributable to the polygraph tests. The full report is available from the website of the National Probation Service.

Rape

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reported rapes resulted in convictions in  (a) Solihull and  (b) England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table shows data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, namely the number of defendants committed by Solihull magistrates court and convicted of rape at the Crown Courts from 2001 to 2005, and all convictions in England and Wales for rape over the same period.
	
		
			  Number of defendants found guilty of rape at all courts in England and Wales, and where Solihull magistrates court was the committing court, 2001 to 2005( 1,2) 
			   Found guilty 
			   Solihull  England and Wales 
			 2001 5 572 
			 2002 3 655 
			 2003 2 673 
			 2004 4 751 
			 2005 6 796 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Recruitment Agencies

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department paid to recruitment agencies for the hire of temporary staff in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Department does not hold information at the requested level of detail. To provide such detailed information could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from UK law enforcement agencies on the operation of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 since 2000; and whether he plans to review the operation of the Act.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 8 February 2007
	Prompted partly by representations from police forces, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Home Office have conducted a review of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. The review identified that some practices and processes associated with the legislation are excessively bureaucratic. The Home Office is currently working with ACPO, the Office of Surveillance Commissioners, the Interception of Communications Commissioner's Office and, from April, the National Policing Improvement Agency, to eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy whilst ensuring that surveillance which does intrude into people's lives is properly authorised and undertaken lawfully.

Reparation by Offenders

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support is provided for the development of restorative justice in England and Wales.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government have invested £5 million in the Crime Reduction Programme Restorative Justice pilots and their independent evaluation. The final research reports on victim and offender satisfaction, and on the impact of restorative justice on re-offending and cost-effectiveness, are expected to be published this year. This research will inform our longer term strategy for adult restorative justice. In the meantime, Best Practice Guidance for Restorative Practitioners was issued in December 2004, and this now forms the basis of National Occupational Standards. In March 2005, the National Criminal Justice Board provided guidance to Local Criminal Justice Boards to encourage the development of adult restorative justice schemes, particularly as a service to victims. The guidance included toolkits for local criminal justice agencies setting up schemes.
	The Home Office Youth Justice and Children Unit is the sponsor of the Youth Justice Board (YJB). As part of the YJB's work overseeing the youth justice system to reduce offending and re-offending by children and young people under 18, the YJB has promoted restorative justice in the youth justice system since 2001, including the publication of the key elements of effective practice in restorative justice and setting performance targets for youth offending teams to develop restorative processes with high levels of victim satisfaction. The YJB is working to develop and broaden the practice of restorative justice and in December 2006 an Action Plan, 'Developing Restorative Justice', was published. The plan outlines details of projects which will improve the delivery of referral orders and youth offender panels, promote restorative justice in the secure estate and develop a long term restorative justice strategy.

Respect Action Plan

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will assess the effectiveness of his Department's Respect Action Plan.

Tony McNulty: The Respect Action Plan, published in January 2006, set out an ambitious programme of work to build a modern culture of respect. One year on, good progress is being made and a progress report, published on 22 January 2007, is available on the Respect website at www.respect.gov.uk.
	Evaluation of this programme is being achieved in a number of ways.
	We have established a public perception-based indicator of respect, which has been placed in the British Crime Survey and the local government user satisfaction survey. This will allow measurement of change in people's perception of respect at the local and the national level. We have also developed a 'basket of measures', agreed with all relevant Government Departments, which identifies change on a number of outcome and output measures that relate to respect, such as truancy and bullying. In addition to this, we conduct and publish a regular survey of local areas to learn more about their use of tools and powers to tackle antisocial behaviour. A number of commitments in the Respect Action Plan are subject to separate evaluations, including an evaluation of the schemes to establish new models for conditional cautions, parenting pathfinders and family intervention projects—the outcome of which will be published fully.
	The Respect programme is a key Government priority and as such is reflected in performance frameworks for local agencies. From 1 April 2007, local area agreements will include mandatory outcomes and indicators on Respect and antisocial behaviour against which progress will be monitored. Together with the relevant Government Departments, we will continue to push forward activity in developing and fulfilling the commitments in the Respect Action Plan.

Respect Zones

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been set aside for funding respect zones.

John Reid: Local authorities confirmed as respect areas will be given access to up to £6 million in 2007-08 (up to £125,000 each) from the Department for Education and Skills to improve parenting provision in their areas. This funding is only available to respect areas and is dependent on achieving that status. Respect areas will continue to receive other funding from the Respect Task Force for work to tackle antisocial behaviour and its causes, although these grants are available to a wider number of areas facing significant challenges and are not dependent on respect area status.

Runaway Children

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children under the age of 18 were victims of crime while running away or missing from care or home in the last 12 months.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 5 February 2007
	The information requested is not available centrally. Information on the overall prevalence of personal victimisation among young people is published in 'Home Office Statistical Bulletin 17/06 Young People and Crime: Findings from the 2005 Offending, Crime and Justice Survey', copies of which are available from the Library of the House or from the Home Office website:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/offending_survey.html

Serious Organised Crime Agency

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2007,  Official Report, column 523W, on the Serious and Organised Crime Agency, if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) memorandum of understanding and  (b) other document that sets out the operational discretion of the (i) Chairman and (ii) Director General of the Serious Organised Crime Agency.

Vernon Coaker: The operational responsibility of the Director General is set out in section 21 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. Chapter 3 of the Management Statement and Financial Memorandum sets out the role and responsibilities of the Chairman of the SOCA Board. Copies of both documents are available in the Library.

Sexual Harassment: Convictions

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there were for  (a) harassment,  (b) sex discrimination,  (c) breach of human rights legislation and  (d) malicious communication where unwanted verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature was a significant feature of the case in each of the last 10 years; and whether convicted offenders in such cases will be placed on the Sexual Offenders Register.

Vernon Coaker: Information held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform does not include data on the circumstances surrounding a case.
	Offenders convicted of a sexual offence (listed in schedule 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) are automatically made subject to notification requirements, commonly known as the sex offenders register, where relevant age and sentence thresholds have been met. Schedule 5 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 includes offences which could have a sexual motive. Where an offender is cautioned or convicted for an offence under schedule 5, and the police and courts believe the motive to be sexual, they can make that person subject to a Sexual Offence Prevention Order and consequently to notification requirements. Amendments to the Sexual Offences Act 2003, due to be commenced on 19 February 2007, will add a number of offences including harassment; sending prohibited articles by post; and improper use of public electronic communications network to schedule 5.

Sexual Offences: Morecambe

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in Morecambe and Lunesdale are on the sex offenders register.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) Annual Report for 2005-06 for Lancashire shows that, on 31 March 2006, the total number of registered sex offenders in each of the Basic Command Units (formerly police divisions) was as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Western 198 
			 Northern 167 
			 Southern 135 
			 Central 75 
			 Eastern 236 
			 Pennine 130 
			 Total 941

Sexual Offences: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sex offenders are registered in Wales, broken down by police force; how many in each force area are being monitored; and how many are missing from their registered addresses.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 5 February 2007
	The Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) Annual Reports for 2005/2006 show that, on 31 March 2006, the total number of registered sex offenders in Wales was as follows:
	
		
			   Number of registered sex offenders 
			 Gwent 391 
			 Dyfed-Powys 308 
			 North Wales 395 
			 South Wales 680 
			 Total 1,774 
		
	
	All registered sex offenders are monitored in line with their individual risk management plan.
	On 31 January 2007, the number of registered sex offenders recorded by police as missing from their registered address was as follows:
	
		
			   Number of registered sex offenders 
			 Gwent 1 
			 Dyfed-Powys 2 
			 North Wales 5 
			 South Wales 5 
			 Total 13

Sheppey Crossing

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police vehicles have been damaged in incidents relating to the closure of Sheppey Crossing.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Kent police.

Smoking Ban

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the introduction of the smoking ban on levels of antisocial behaviour.

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department is not aware of any evidence that smoke free legislation will impact on levels of antisocial behaviour.

Smuggling: Firearms

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Minister of State's comments in the House on 7( )February 2007, what discussions his Department has had with HM Revenue and Customs on the importing of illegal firearms; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 9 February 2007
	The Home Office works with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on a range of issues, including the importing of illegal firearms. HMRC are represented on the Home Secretary's Round Table on Guns, Knives and Gangs, which met most recently on 7 February. A further meeting will be held shortly. HMRC and the Home Office are also represented on the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Criminal Use of Firearms group which is taking forward a wide ranging action plan which focuses on enforcement, intelligence and prevention issues, including the supply of prohibited firearms.
	A Joint Firearms Intelligence Cell (JFIC) has recently been established between ACPO, HMRC, Immigration and Nationality Directorate of the Home Office (IND), and the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA). The JFIC is working on an action plan on the illegal supply and distribution of firearms within the UK.
	In addition, the ACPO CUF Secretariat represents the UK at the European Firearms Experts Working Group. A priority for that working group is the illegal distribution and supply of firearms from a European perspective.
	The chair of the ACPO CUF (chief constable Keith Bristow, Warwickshire) currently chairs the G8 Law Enforcement Projects Sub Group (LEPSG). This group seeks to improve co-ordination and co-operation between the law enforcement agencies of G8 countries.

Speed Limits: Bournemouth

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much revenue was received from fines related to speed cameras in Bournemouth in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: Information on revenue from speed camera convictions is not collected centrally.
	The information collected by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform identifies the number of fixed penalties ordered to be paid and the number and amounts of court fines issued for such offences within each police force area. Not all fines and fixed penalties will have been paid.

Stray Dogs

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department has taken to ensure that local authorities are fulfilling their obligations to receive stray dogs under the Environmental Protection Act 1990; and what sanctions are available to him against those which are not fulfilling their obligations.

Tony McNulty: The exercise of local authority statutory duties under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 is a matter for the Department of Communities and Local Government.

Terrorism: Detainees

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from police forces indicating that individual cases of anti-terrorism inquiries since the period of detention was increased to 28 days would have been assisted if there had been a longer period of detention without charges being made.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 8 February 2007
	We have ongoing discussions on the limits on pre-charge detention in terrorist cases with the leaders of the police service and others.

Veritas

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will assess the suitability of the company Veritas in providing professional services to police forces in England;
	(2)  what contracts are held by English police forces with the company Veritas.

Tony McNulty: Contractual arrangements with private companies is a matter for individual police forces and their police authorities.

Victim Support Schemes

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been allocated  (a) at a national level for the Restorative Justice Consortium and  (b) to local victim care units.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In 2005, the Home Office provided the Restorative Justice Consortium with one-off investment funding of £36,000 to enable it to concentrate on securing alternative sources of sustainable funding.
	£1 million has been allocated this financial year to pilot new and enhanced services for victims of crime.

Wandsworth Prison

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recreational facilities are available to prisoners at HMP Wandsworth.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The recreational facilities available include a variety of workshops and educational facilities and a library for prisoners to use.
	There is a pool and a table tennis table on all the residential units, televisions in all cells, for which prisoners pay £1 a week and all prisoners have access to exercise yards each day. There are gyms and fitness suites in the prison, and some units also have access to exercise equipment. Prisoners on the enhanced level of incentives and earned privileges can have access to DVDs and games consoles. There are also reading clubs, film clubs and a radio station.

Young Offenders

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultation was undertaken on Prison Service Order Number 4950; and what representations were received.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The current edition of the Prison Service Order was published in December 2006 following consultation with, among others: the Youth Justice Board; the Department for Education and Skills; the Department of Health; governors/directors of young offender institutions; the Prison Governors' and Prison Officers' Associations; HM Inspectorate of Prisons; and the Independent Monitoring Boards Secretariat. Responses were received from 53 bodies or individuals.

Young Offenders

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice his Department makes available to  (a) children,  (b) their representatives and  (c) their family members on the regime to which they are entitled under Prison Service Order 4950 on regimes for children in prisons; and for what reason (i) girls are no longer treated separately under the order, (ii) the requirement for prison staff to have training in dealing with girls was removed, (iii) the specification on hours to be spent out of the prison cell on purposeful activity was removed, (iv) the mandatory minimum number of hours of education was removed and (v) the requirement to produce records of achievement for children was removed.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Young people newly received into custody must be given information about the establishment and a sentence plan. General information for families and others can be accessed on HM Prison Service's website or requested from the local establishment. Prison Service Order 4950 is complemented by a service level agreement between the Youth Justice Board and the Prison Service, which contains a specific service specification for the service's five dedicated girls' units. The PSO requires that staff working with under-18s should receive specialist training as specified in the SLA. Training is currently provided through the Juvenile Awareness Staff Programme, which contains elements specific to young women. The SLA sets a level of at least 10 hours a day for time out of cell. The under-18 version of the Offender's Learning Journey (OLJ), the specification for the learning and skills delivery service, requires each learner to receive 25 hours learning a week. The SLA reinforces this with the requirement that young people in young offender institutions receive an average of 25 hours of education, training and personal development activity each week. The OLJ requires that every young person should have an Individual Learning Plan, which the learning provider is required to pass on as young people transfer between custodial institutions and, through the youth offending team, to the responsible learning provider following release.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Physical Violence: Schools

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many serious injuries to school teachers caused by physical violence in schools in  (a) England and  (b) each local education authority were reported to the Health and Safety Executive in each year from 2000 to 2006.

Anne McGuire: No fatal injuries involving acts of violence to schoolteachers in England were reported to HSE across the period 2000-01 to 2005-06.
	The following table 1 is in support of part  (a) of the question and details non-fatal injuries to schoolteachers involving acts of violence across England as a whole.
	Tables 2-7 in support of part  (b) of the question are set out in an annexe. Due to the size of the individual outputs I have placed a copy in the Library. These provide a breakdown, by local authorities in England, of non-fatal injuries to schoolteachers involving acts of violence.
	
		
			  Table 1: Non-fatal injuries to schoolteachers in England involving acts of violence reported to HSE, 2000-01 to 2005-06( 1) 
			   Non-fatal major injury  Over-3-day injury  All reported injuries 
			 2000-01 34 148 182 
			 2001-02 25 125 150 
			 2002-03 25 161 186 
			 2004-05 40 140 180 
			 2005-06(1) 30 191 221 
			 (1) Provisional

TRANSPORT

Driving Offences

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motorists were found by police to be driving without  (a) a valid UK driving licence,  (b) insurance,  (c) an MOT and  (d) a valid tax disc in each of the last 10 years, broken down by police force.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	Information held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform on the numbers of court proceedings and fixed penalty notices issued (where appropriate) for offences of 'driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence'; 'using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks' and 'using or keeping an unlicensed vehicle on a public road', from 1997-2004 (latest available) is provided in the tables.
	The motoring offences of 'causing or permitting use of vehicle without test certificate' contrary to the Road Traffic Act 1988, s. 47 are not separately identifiable, on the court proceedings database, from other similarly grouped motoring offences.
	2005 data will be available later this year.
	
		
			  Table A: Court proceedings( 1)  and fixed penalty notices issued( 2)  for the offence of driving without a licence( 3) , by police force area, England and Wales, 1997-2004 
			  Number of offences 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000 
			  Police force area  Total proceedings  Fixed penalty notices issued  Total proceedings  Fixed penalty notices issued  Total proceedings  Fixed penalty notices issued  Total proceedings  Fixed penalty notices issued 
			 Avon and Somerset 9,392 63 11,635 59 10,744 64 11,026 94 
			 Bedfordshire 2,179 11 2.184 5 1,907 13 2,225 16 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,650 — 1,668 — 1,549 — 1,630 9 
			 Cheshire 2,269 6 2,613 18 3,123 1 3,728 12 
			 Cleveland 2,166 8 2,504 9 2,853 7 3,071 9 
			 Cumbria 2,049 15 1,958 9 2,061 — 2,010 5 
			 Derbyshire 2,857 33 2,653 30 2,783 27 3,123 49 
			 Devon and Cornwall 4,097 115 3,772 107 4,103 80 5,598 — 
			 Dorset 2,269 49 1,703 63 2,225 75 2,923 100 
			 Durham 2,062 5 2,455 13 3,613 6 3,131 4 
			 Essex 3,141 32 3,516 25 3,931 28 4,702 49 
			 Gloucestershire 1,931 — 2,560 — 2.882 8 2,981 40 
			 Greater Manchester 16,991 23 18,826 32 21,789 32 23,920 46 
			 Hampshire 5,938 48 6,012 84 6,593 95 6,216 77 
			 Hertfordshire 1,909 16 2,962 6 2,539 15 3,380 39 
			 Humberside 2,313 59 2,345 74 2,779 38 3,040 82 
			 Kent 3,108 34 3,182 41 2,924 43 4,759 48 
			 Lancashire 16,371 40 15,008 45 14,425 55 15,671 94 
			 Leicestershire 5,022 27 6,403 26 7,417 14 7,303 28 
			 Lincolnshire 2,375 36 2,763 43 3,115 — 2,903 — 
			 London, City of 1,312 32 1,704 40 1,456 28 1,064 20 
			 Merseyside 6,217 20 5,573 27 5,421 101 6,577 125 
			 Metropolitan Police 23,317 644 19,864 711 18,664 695 18,765 376 
			 Norfolk 1,800 33 1,548 45 1,726 57 2,091 36 
			 Northamptonshire 2,481 — 2,515 4 3,161 6 2,321 4 
			 Northumbria 7,024 41 6,696 28 7,744 61 7,841 125 
			 North Yorkshire 2,004 34 1,995 29 2,254 29 2,149 32 
			 Nottinghamshire 3,752 — 4,395 5 4,199 2 4,381 4 
			 South Yorkshire 5,747 37 6,057 70 6,847 62 7,538 88 
			 Staffordshire 4,029 46 4,326 39 4,515 25 5,391 31 
			 Suffolk 1,526 29 1,863 38 2,369 67 2,303 41 
			 Surrey 1,806 11 1,312 33 1,793 42 2,230 37 
			 Sussex 5,397 26 5,303 32 4,814 18 4,643 45 
			 Thames Valley 6,600 51 6,775 58 8,323 52 8,074 76 
			 Warwickshire 2,109 10 1,965 19 1,775 11 2,274 25 
			 West Mercia 3,910 54 4,654 45 4,477 34 4,657 48 
			 West Midlands 17,343 33 18,914 32 17,541 38 19,624 28 
			 West Yorkshire 14,431 34 14,605 50 17,184 41 19,312 71 
			 Wiltshire 1,582 56 2,255 60 2,338 33 3,226 41 
			  
			 Dyfed-Powys 1,488 19 1,410 25 1,620 19 1,686 21 
			 Gwent 2,158 28 2,541 42 2,463 31 2,752 24 
			 North Wales 2,593 17 2,373 16 2,242 19 2,102 21 
			 South Wales 8,775 20 9,959 17 9,907 11 9,736 22 
			  
			 England and Wales 217,490 1,895 225,324 2,154 236,188 2,083 254,077 2,142 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of offences 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004 
			  Police force area  Total proceedings  Fixed penalty notices issued  Total proceedings  Fixed penalty notices issued  Total proceedings  Fixed penalty notices issued  Total proceedings  Fixed penalty notices issued 
			 Avon and Somerset 9,842 100 11,212 130 13,420 133 14,297 196 
			 Bedfordshire 3,197 13 3,263 23 3,338 24 3,150 48 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,457 14 1,737 9 1,855 23 2,016 73 
			 Cheshire 3,140 33 3,615 52 3,992 32 3,925 71 
			 Cleveland 3,274 23 4,390 35 3,893 33 4,673 45 
			 Cumbria 2,017 10 2,053 10 2,041 20 2,101 25 
			 Derbyshire 3,230 80 3,387 130 3,252 153 4,038 164 
			 Devon and Cornwall 5,361 — 6,026 — 5,988 — 5,330 — 
			 Dorset 3,033 104 3,843 87 4,361 100 3,743 92 
			 Durham 3,589 8 3,886 33 3,993 27 3,628 40 
			 Essex 4,609 61 4,703 59 4,291 49 4,319 141 
			 Gloucestershire 3,347 45 3,078 32 2,857 25 2,320 50 
			 Greater Manchester 27,631 88 26,437 106 28,490 87 26,887 180 
			 Hampshire 6,288 128 6,942 112 6,530 108 6,258 313 
			 Hertfordshire 3,816 46 5,039 71 5,225 116 4,967 157 
			 Humberside 3,082 66 2,984 82 3,567 77 3,648 158 
			 Kent 5,358 102 5,700 68 6,114 108 6,770 153 
			 Lancashire 13,667 104 14,452 104 16,797 132 13,280 134 
			 Leicestershire 7,573 33 7,205 50 7,512 95 7,204 168 
			 Lincolnshire 2,541 — 2,643 9 3,826 50 4,540 — 
			 London, City of 959 23 1,504 34 1,651 122 2,280 86 
			 Merseyside 5,987 106 6,936 86 8,847 75 8,938 103 
			 Metropolitan Police 20,465 443 23,486 579 29,248 1,096 33,533 1,314 
			 Norfolk 2,762 37 3,442 38 3,921 36 3,164 35 
			 Northamptonshire 1,157 1 670 2 2,588 5 3,843 1 
			 Northumbria 7,859 219 7,738 255 8,368 285 7,402 381 
			 North Yorkshire 1,949 45 2,000 23 2,261 16 2,410 24 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,648 5 4,583 13 5,656 100 5,909 123 
			 South Yorkshire 9,081 144 9,016 102 8,957 125 7,091 143 
			 Staffordshire 3,576 34 4,045 54 4,176 49 4,586 84 
			 Suffolk 2,685 47 3,103 67 3,724 41 3,712 48 
			 Surrey 2,386 68 2,555 61 2,008 104 2,032 102 
			 Sussex 4,901 38 4,714 37 3,875 68 2,879 132 
			 Thames Valley 7,520 91 8,023 100 8,948 170 7,813 247 
			 Warwickshire 2,311 24 2,121 26 2,234 46 2,695 65 
			 West Mercia 4,827 120 4,844 76 4,837 81 4,732 107 
			 West Midlands 18,946 52 24,022 63 28,179 100 31,643 145 
			 West Yorkshire 22,328 70 19,839 105 22,421 123 28,752 247 
			 Wiltshire 3,810 57 3,765 71 3,525 55 3,396 62 
			  
			 Dyfed-Powys 1,711 11 1,840 28 1,789 28 1,250 31 
			 Gwent 2,817 18 2,754 16 2,304 25 1,984 19 
			 North Wales 1,990 27 2,473 30 3,755 89 3,614 103 
			 South Wales 9,015 18 11,039 19 10,725 18 10,254 41 
			  
			 England and Wales 259,742 2,756 277,107 3,087 305,339 4,249 311,006 5,851 
			 (1 )May include cases where fixed penalty notices were originally issued but not paid and subsequently referred to court. (2 )Only covers tickets paid where there is no further action. (3 )Offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988, S,87 (1) & (2) as amended.  Notes:  1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. Work is underway to ensure that the magistrates courts case management system currently being implemented by the Department for Constitutional Affairs reports all motoring offences to the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. This will enable more complete figures to be disseminated. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their limitations are taken into account when these data are used. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Total number of fixed penalty notices issued( 1, 2)  and court proceedings( 3)  for the offence of using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks( 4), England and Wales, 1997-2004 
			  Number of offences 
			  Police force area  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002 
			 Avon and Somerset 15,354 16,892 15,098 14,609 13,022 15,124 
			 Bedfordshire 4,724 4,449 3,479 3,594 4,651 4,731 
			 Cambridgeshire 3,440 3,425 3,058 2,929 2,508 2,875 
			 Cheshire 4,838 4,961 5,463 5,729 4,975 5,765 
			 Cleveland 3,925 4,204 4,331 4,793 4,789 5,994 
			 Cumbria 4,223 3,787 3,597 3,507 3,595 3,540 
			 Derbyshire 5,565 5,137 5,120 5,318 5,429 5,614 
			 Devon and Cornwall 8,422 7,232 7,493 9,234 8,648 9,598 
			 Dorset 5,271 4,198 4,776 6,035 5,262 6,176 
			 Durham 3,992 4,261 5,899 5,470 5,394 5,840 
			 Essex 7,161 7,025 7,336 7,898 7,708 7,811 
			 Gloucestershire 3,577 4,465 4,443 4,174 4,683 4,417 
			 Greater Manchester 30,655 30,836 33,228 33,783 37,088 36,337 
			 Hampshire 11,768 11,557 11,553 10,559 10,349 10,912 
			 Hertfordshire 4,580 5,799 4,748 5,258 5,816 6,612 
			 Humberside 4,408 4,279 4,894 5,024 4,730 4,464 
			 Kent 6,935 6,958 6,151 9,033 9,592 10,059 
			 Lancashire 20,334 18,794 18,111 18,354 16,280 17,555 
			 Leicestershire 9,706 9,481 11,054 10,263 10,475 10,699 
			 Lincolnshire 4,589 5,000 5,345 4,500 4,083 4,242 
			 London, City of 2,671 3,127 2,521 1,738 1,826 2,353 
			 Merseyside 10,896 9,747 8,932 10,054 9,467 10,360 
			 Metropolitan Police 42,283 35,064 31,285 29,649 32,032 36,485 
			 Norfolk 3,932 3,434 3,468 3,951 4,744 5,563 
			 Northamptonshire 4,999 4,849 5,571 3,949 2,028 1,211 
			 Northumbria 12,470 11,837 13,296 13,195 12,504 12,309 
			 North Yorkshire 3,926 3,744 4,003 3,905 3,545 3,340 
			 Nottinghamshire 8,078 8,726 7,957 7,748 7,856 7,460 
			 South Yorkshire 11,228 11,553 11,763 12,690 14,623 13,859 
			 Staffordshire 8,180 8,210 8,021 8,777 6,027 7,056 
			 Suffolk 3,258 3,743 4,189 3,923 4,123 4,759 
			 Surrey 4,942 3,908 4,436 4,941 5,101 5,554 
			 Sussex 9,333 8,202 7,415 6,796 6,814 6,413 
			 Thames Valley 11,887 11,948 13,543 12,816 11,728 12,842 
			 Warwickshire 4,316 3,769 3,523 4,135 4,204 3,711 
			 West Mercia 7,082 8,207 7,450 7,686 7,787 7,849 
			 West Midlands 29,878 30,928 27,409 28,148 27,010 32,339 
			 West Yorkshire 23,980 23,549 25,776 26,529 27,618 24,873 
			 Wiltshire 3,463 4,820 4,708 4,901 5,292 5,326 
			
			 Dyfed-Powys 3,079 2,852 3,017 3,072 2,953 3,316 
			 Gwent 4,097 4,478 4,451 4,680 4,758 4,508 
			 North Wales 4,859 4,452 4,102 3,697 3,376 4,048 
			 South Wales 14,829 16,187 15,406 14,615 13,805 16,499 
			
			 England and Wales 397,133 390,074 387,419 391,659 388,298 410,398 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of offences 
			   2003( 1)  2004 
			  Police force area  Court proceedings( 3)  Fixed penalty notices issued  Court proceedings( 3)  Fixed penalty notices issued 
			 Avon and Somerset 17,163 5 17,489 47 
			 Bedfordshire 5,041 — 4,534 — 
			 Cambridgeshire 3,301 — 3,120 63 
			 Cheshire 6,385 — 6,515 40 
			 Cleveland 5,575 48 6,597 70 
			 Cumbria 3,488 — 3,446 — 
			 Derbyshire 5,793 — 6,326 — 
			 Devon and Cornwall 9,676 — 8,943 — 
			 Dorset 7,034 — 6,075 — 
			 Durham 5,802 — 5,300 — 
			 Essex 7,489 — 7,132 — 
			 Gloucestershire 4,412 — 3,695 — 
			 Greater Manchester 38,208 9 34,942 44 
			 Hampshire 10,619 — 9,750 111 
			 Hertfordshire 7,216 11 7,463 177 
			 Humberside 5,509 — 5,170 — 
			 Kent 9,788 10 10,673 12 
			 Lancashire 21,229 37 16,065 91 
			 Leicestershire 11,304 34 10,833 62 
			 Lincolnshire 5,883 — 6,621 — 
			 London, City of 2,563 2 2,812 21 
			 Merseyside 12,776 — 13,023 — 
			 Metropolitan Police 43,100 43 47,806 147 
			 Norfolk 6,322 — 5,084 — 
			 Northamptonshire 4,157 5 5,804 40 
			 Northumbria 12,951 38 11,685 7 
			 North Yorkshire 3,774 33 4,065 95 
			 Nottinghamshire 9,224 21 9,224 42 
			 South Yorkshire 13,745 — 11,416 — 
			 Staffordshire 7,214 36 7,439 122 
			 Suffolk 5,808 — 5,718 — 
			 Surrey 4,657 — 3,927 — 
			 Sussex 5,808 — 4,371 — 
			 Thames Valley 14,516 — 12,920 — 
			 Warwickshire 3,756 31 4,160 50 
			 West Mercia 7,735 — 7,249 — 
			 West Midlands 36,409 — 39,696 37 
			 West Yorkshire 26,966 3 32,404 46 
			 Wiltshire 4,794 — 4,641 — 
			  
			 Dyfed-Powys 3,094 — 2,244 — 
			 Gwent 4,083 — 3,474 — 
			 North Wales 5,968 78 6,022 139 
			 South Wales 16,932 — 15,946 — 
			  
			 England and Wales 447,267 444 441,819 1,463 
			 (1) Fixed penalty of £200 introduced as from 1 June 2003. (2) Only covers tickets paid where there is no further action. (3) May include cases where fixed penalty notices were originally issued but not paid and subsequently referred to court. (4) An offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s. 143 (2)  Notes: 1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. Work is under way to ensure that the magistrates courts case management system currently being implemented by the Department for Constitutional Affairs reports all motoring offences to the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. This will enable more complete figures to be disseminated. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their limitations are taken into account when these data are used. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C: Proceedings at magistrates courts for the offence of failing to pay appropriate duty( 1)  by police force area, England and Wales, 1997-2004 
			  Number of offences 
			  Police force area  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 Avon and Somerset 8,090 9,329 7,676 6,786 5,893 7,963 7,027 6,513 
			 Bedfordshire 2,392 2,132 1,488 1,166 846 1,308 2,149 275 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,338 489 23 13 48 13 22 68 
			 Cheshire 2,612 1,549 1,211 3,534 4,078 3,782 4,826 4,368 
			 Cleveland 3,206 2,282 2,265 2,319 1,990 1,585 2,432 1,984 
			 Cumbria 1,552 745 784 915 78 10 1,085 1,051 
			 Derbyshire 3,489 1,824 1,242 1,090 980 1,131 3,870 2,923 
			 Devon and Cornwall 7,173 6,561 6,162 5,923 5,540 8,827 9,826 6,947 
			 Dorset 2,452 3,075 2,591 2,948 3,376 3,058 3,601 3,479 
			 Durham 1,314 1,236 728 336 162 47 11 10 
			 Essex 8,920 9,377 10,784 9,703 6,439 7,091 6,080 5,724 
			 Gloucestershire 2,206 2,117 1,660 1,627 1,794 1,667 2,230 2,417 
			 Greater Manchester 6,377 5,950 5,502 6,917 5,087 4,570 8,756 13,548 
			 Hampshire 6,190 6,097 7,513 7,813 7,921 8,768 7,714 7,618 
			 Hertfordshire 4,567 4,903 5,068 5,142 4,935 3,559 4,643 5,672 
			 Humberside 4,094 2,400 4,333 4,838 4,532 4,649 5,410 4,106 
			 Kent 998 1,958 189 43 2,250 4,503 5,411 5,831 
			 Lancashire 3,611 5,479 5,146 5,890 7,215 5,351 6,414 4,688 
			 Leicestershire 5,201 5,745 5,460 5,802 5,487 5,881 5,671 4,324 
			 Lincolnshire 3,128 2,753 2,661 2,162 2,078 2,303 2,501 2,042 
			 London, City of 762 1,052 632 344 389 476 408 245 
			 Merseyside 2,036 4,797 2,762 4,656 5,573 4,864 8,252 7,955 
			 Metropolitan Police 19,618 16,980 16,375 15,408 15,603 14,649 26,813 40,086 
			 Norfolk 2,623 972 903 875 1,937 2,059 3,118 2,819 
			 Northamptonshire 3,626 4,100 3,908 4,824 4,408 4,880 4,462 3,435 
			 Northumbria 4,092 3,107 3,619 4,559 4,245 3,618 3,183 2,588 
			 North Yorkshire 1,590 1,309 1,076 924 950 714 846 1,227 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,831 5,185 4,965 4,558 4,001 4,265 3,920 4,439 
			 South Yorkshire 3,382 1,339 981 954 1,249 1,336 3,771 4,292 
			 Staffordshire 2,573 1,696 571 409 146 81 75 167 
			 Suffolk 2,402 2,894 2,923 3,593 2,912 2,911 2,993 2,596 
			 Surrey 1,556 1,442 1,478 2,197 2,269 2,612 2,240 143 
			 Sussex 5,928 7,635 5,330 7,114 6,794 6,803 7,733 317 
			 Thames Valley 2,844 1,581 1,239 2,811 2,456 1,894 3,409 4,935 
			 Warwickshire 2,320 1,227 1,002 942 872 798 983 1,901 
			 West Mercia 2,614 3,383 2,944 3,419 3,122 3,099 3,061 122 
			 West Midlands 17,406 9,389 7,432 6,607 5,035 5,528 14,040 11,350 
			 West Yorkshire 7,572 6,112 5,685 6,246 5,662 5,151 8,547 9,139 
			 Wiltshire 1,503 3,400 2,330 2,146 2,292 2,281 2,425 2,138 
			  
			 Dyfed-Powys 2,463 2,587 2,289 2,067 1,841 1,925 1,784 1,487 
			 Gwent 3,021 2,584 1,985 2,783 3,456 4,330 4,184 3,400 
			 North Wales 2,200 1,400 1,359 1,613 1,941 2,781 3,188 2,240 
			 South Wales 6,686 6,187 4,550 4,155 4,383 4,776 6,362 7,189 
			  
			 England and Wales 182,558 166,359 148,824 158,171 152,265 157,897 205,476 197,798 
			 (1) Offence under the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 s. 29 (1) - (3)  Notes: 1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. Work is under way to ensure that the magistrates courts case management system currently being implemented by the Department for Constitutional Affairs reports all motoring offences to the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. This will enable more complete figures to be disseminated. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the economic value of unpaid family labour to the farming industry.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 8 February 2007
	The latest estimate of "Total Income from Farming" (TIFF), published on 31 January, was £2.72 billion for 2006. TIFF represents business profits plus remuneration for work done by owners and other unpaid workers. An estimate is not separately made for family workers.

Agriculture: Forced Labour

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what account his Department takes of the use of forced labour in the farming of imported food, with particular reference to the possible role of trafficked children in harvesting cocoa beans; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: The Government are committed to the elimination of trafficking and child labour in all countries and for all purposes—including the possible role of trafficked children in harvesting cocoa beans. Through our links with PROBA (EU Working Party on Commodities), we encourage the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) work on improving long-term and sustainable economies in cocoa-producing countries. This includes strengthening institutional capacity to address forced labour and the worst forms of child labour. It is critical that the underlying poverty that is at the root of trafficking and child labour is tackled. Stopping child labour without ensuring alternative income for the family or appropriate, good quality education opportunities for the children is likely to be ineffective and may drive children into more hidden and harmful jobs.
	The Government have a strong commitment to ratification and enforcement of international human rights standards: the UK has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 138 on the minimum age for employment and ILO Convention 182 on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, and encourages other countries to ratify and conform to these Conventions. DFID is a major supporter of the ILO, including its International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) and the Special Programme for the Elimination of Forced Labour (SAP-FL).

Agriculture: Subsidies

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of preparations to deliver single farm payments for 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: The position remains as set out in my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's statement to the House on 7 November 2006,  Official Report, column 715.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether any payments have been made under the single payment scheme for Ireby Fell, Lancashire.

Barry Gardiner: Detailed analysis of all the payments made under the 2005 single payment scheme is not yet available. Once the remaining 2005 scheme payments have been completed, a decision will be taken on the level of detail that will be published.

Agriculture: Subsidies

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will publish the 50 largest single farm payments made by 31 January 2007 in relation to applications made in 2005.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 6 February 2007
	Detailed analysis of all the payments made under the 2005 single payment scheme is not yet available. Once the remaining 2005 scheme payments have been completed, a decision will be taken on the level of detail that will be published.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2006,  Official Report, column 221W, on the Single Payment Scheme, what the average length of time taken by the Rural Payments Agency was to validate English land details on applications received from Scottish area offices for the application periods  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006.

Barry Gardiner: Figures on the average time taken to process an English Application are currently not available for 2005. This is owing to the task based approach that was adopted during the first year of the scheme. As such, progress was monitored against the total number of outstanding tasks, rather than the number of individual claims fully validated.
	For 2006 a 'whole case' approach has been adopted and current figures show a marked increase in the number of claims paid, compared to this time last year. As processing still continues meaningful averages of the time taken to fully validate a cross border claim are not yet available.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2006,  Official Report, column 221W, on the Single Payment Scheme, how many Single Payment Scheme applications have been received by the Rural Payments Agency from  (a) farmers with cross-border holdings in England and Scotland where most of the land lies in England and  (b) Scottish area offices for validation of applications from farmers with cross-border holdings in England and Scotland where most of the land lies in Scotland in (i) 2005 and (ii) 2006.

Barry Gardiner: The information requested is given as follows:
	 (a) RPA records show that in 2005 66 farmers with land in Scotland submitted a claim to England as the majority of the land was situated in England. In the 2006 scheme year this figure reduced to 63 farmers.
	 (b) RPA records show that in 2005 74 farmers with land in England submitted a claim to Scotland as the majority of the land was situated in Scotland. In the 2006 scheme year this figure increased to 79 farmers.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2006,  Official Report, column 221W, on the Single Payment Scheme, how many applications sent to the Rural Payments Agency from Scottish area offices for validation of English land details were outstanding at 1 July 2006; how many of these have now been processed; and what the total value is of interest paid on these claims due to late processing.

Barry Gardiner: Entitlement data for 31 cases were issued to SEERAD prior to 31 July 2006 leaving 43 outstanding at that time which required re-calculation in order to correct some inaccuracies associated with the historical data. To date 59 cases have been issued to SEERAD for incorporation into the single payment, leaving 15 cases outstanding.
	SEERAD has confirmed that the value of any interest payments associated with late SPS payments in cases where they are the responsible paying agency is still being calculated and these figures are not available at this time.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2006,  Official Report, column 221W, on the Single Payment Scheme, what the average length of time taken was  (a) by the Rural Payments Agency to pass a claim to Scotland for validation of Scottish land details,  (b) by a Scottish area office to validate Scottish land details and process the application and  (c) to process the entire claim in respect of claims made by farmers with cross-border holdings in England and Scotland where most of the land lies in England in (i) 2005 and (ii) 2006.

Barry Gardiner: The information requested is given as follows:
	 (a) It is not possible to provide an average length of time taken by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) to pass a Single Payment Scheme (SPS) claim to Scotland for validation of Scottish land details as 2005 Scottish claims received at RPA were sent to SEERAD during August 2005 as part of a bulk exchange. This exercise was repeated for the 2006 SPS scheme year.
	 (b) The Scottish Executive has informed RPA the time taken by a Scottish area office to validate Scottish land details and process the application is not held in a manner that would allow the question to be answered.
	 (c) Figures on the average time taken to process an English application are currently not available for 2005. This is owing to the task based approach that was adopted during the first year of the scheme. As such, progress was monitored against the total number of outstanding tasks rather than the number of individual claims fully validated.
	For 2006 a 'whole case' approach has been adopted and current figures show a marked increase in the number of claims paid compared with this time last year. As processing still continues meaningful averages of the time taken to fully validate a cross border claim are not yet available.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria are used to determine whether areas are accepted as having Higher Level Stewardship status; if he will commission research into the consistency with which evidence is collected and assessed against those criteria; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) is open to all farmers in England. HLS is a competitive scheme which aims to deliver significant environmental outcomes in high priority situations and areas. The key characteristics of the different parts of the English countryside have been outlined in over 150 Joint Character Areas. Each area has priority targets for the management of a variety of features and HLS applications are scored directly against these targets. Those applications which meet or exceed a pre-determined regional threshold may be offered an agreement. It therefore follows that applications which address the relevant priority targets for their area have the greatest likelihood of approval.
	Targeting of HLS is due to be reviewed in association with national and regional stakeholders later this year, taking account of an independent evaluation of Environmental Stewardship as a whole which we have already commissioned.

Air Pollution: Christmas

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the carbon emissions generated by the electricity requirements of Christmas lights; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State for Science and Innovation on 15 January 2007,  Official Report, column 807W.

Air Pollution: Contracts

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria are used by his Department in selecting companies providing carbon offsetting services; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: DEFRA acts as co-ordinator for the cross Whitehall Government Carbon Offsetting Fund (GCOF). In August 2006 an open OJEU tender was issued for a company to deliver the emission reductions required to fulfil government's carbon offsetting requirements via the GCOF. The tender specified that the following offsetting project criteria were required:
	1. All offsetting projects are Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects
	2. Project activities are limited to small-scale renewable energy and or energy efficiency projects
	3. All projects have strong sustainable development benefits. These include environmental, social, economic and technological benefits.
	The GCOF tender also required:
	1. Delivery of 255,000 Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) by April 2009, with a delayed option to purchase a further 50,000.
	2. A price per CER fixed for the duration of the contract.
	The tendering process concluded with the selection of EEA Fund Management, announced on 28 December 2006.

Animal Welfare: EC Law

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the impact of EC Council Regulations 1/2005 on  (a) country shows,  (b) horse trials,  (c) dog shows and  (d) other animal fairs;
	(2)  for which groups exceptions will be made under EC Council Regulations 1/2005; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Council Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005, on the protection of animals during transport and related operations, applies to the transport of live vertebrate animals that takes place in connection with an economic activity. The term 'economic activity' is not defined in the regulation but my Department has provided a view on its meaning in guidance.
	In this guidance, we have taken the view that the regulation applies to animals transported as part of a business or commercial activity that aims to achieve financial gain, whether direct or indirect, for any person or company involved in the transport.
	The guidance also makes it clear that we do not consider economic activity to include those who attend events such as county shows, horse trials, dog shows or other animal fairs as a hobby, that is for pleasure or competition rather than as a part of a business. The impact of the regulation on such events should not therefore be significant.

Animals: Disease Control

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many mobile incinerators he has available to incinerate animals for the purposes of disease control; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: None. Most mobile incinerators have a very limited capacity and are only approved to process less than 50 kilograms per hour and require a site specific licence. They are, therefore, not considered to be a viable disposal solution for most infected premises.

Animals: Disease Control

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what bio-security measures are in place for the transportation of animals culled for the purposes of disease control;
	(2)  what his Department's policy is on transporting animals culled for disease control; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Strict biosecurity measures are in place for the transportation of animals culled for disease control purposes.
	With regards to the recent outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza in Suffolk, carcasses were transported in sealed, leak-proof lorries, fully covered with securely fixed top covers or tarpaulins, to a plant in Staffordshire where they were rendered.
	A number of measures were taken prior to the lorries leaving the infected premises to ensure that trucks were not overfilled and leaks did not occur. Prior to use, each vehicle is leak tested and visually inspected for defects. Before being licensed off the site, the external surfaces of the vehicle were sprayed down with an approved disinfectant as a further biosecurity measure. Each batch of trucks was also accompanied by an escort to ensure that the trucks did not leak, that material did not fall from the vehicle and that, in the unlikely event of an accident or incident involving the vehicle, measures could be taken to protect human and animal health and the environment.
	Drivers carried a certificate of leak-testing and a transport incident record card which detailed the actions to be taken in the event of an accident or incident.

Avian Influenza

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance his Department is issuing to local government to assist measures to prevent the spread of the H5N1 virus.

Ben Bradshaw: My Department works closely with the Local Authority Coordination of Regulatory Services (LACORS), the State Veterinary Service (SVS) and other operational partners to ensure effective preparedness for an outbreak of avian influenza.
	Local authorities (both trading standards and emergency planners) have close working relationships with LACORS and their local SVS offices on an ongoing basis, which provides mutual support and guidance where required.
	Local authorities regularly participate in animal disease contingency exercises led by the SVS, and LACORS provides guidance on their website including a local authority contingency plan template as well as extensive guidance on responsibilities during an outbreak.
	In addition, a range of guidance on preventative measures has been made available to local authorities, from Defra, including guidance on the national poultry register, biosecurity, bird gatherings and other relevant guidance.
	These relationships have worked extremely well since the confirmed case of H5N1 near Lowestoft in Suffolk, and have ensured that local authorities' needs are recognised at a national level.

Avian Influenza

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with  (a) the EU and  (b) relevant Government Departments in non-EU countries on the H5N1 virus.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra routinely liaises closely with the European Commission and other member states through meetings of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH) and the Chief Veterinary Officers' Working Group. Officials also communicate regularly through facsimiles, e-mails and telephone conversations.
	At a meeting of SCoFCAH on 6 February, the Commission supported the timely action that Defra has taken in relation to the recent outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza in Suffolk. SCoFCAH also enabled the export of poultry and poultry products from outside the restricted zone to other member states to continue as normal.
	Defra is liaising closely with third world countries and is keeping them informed of the current situation. In addition, my Department has also provided all countries with details of the recent outbreak through the OIE (International Animal Health Organisation) notification system and the Animal Disease Notification System (ADNS).

Avian Influenza

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what systems are in place to screen relevant products imported into the UK for the H5N1 virus.

Ben Bradshaw: The UK does not accept uncooked meat or live birds from areas where H5N1 has been reported.
	We do not routinely screen all products imported into the UK for any disease. In the case of H5N1, it would not be practicable or proportionate to do so.
	Veterinary checks are carried out on imported animals and animal products from approved establishments in approved countries outside the EU, to ensure that they meet the strict EU veterinary import conditions and do not pose a risk to public or animal health. All consignments are subject to documentary and identity checks. At least 50 per cent. of poultry meat consignments undergo physical checks, as do all consignments of live birds. These must come with an official health certificate guaranteeing compliance with EU rules and freedom from disease.
	The State Veterinary Service carries out checks of live animals at Border Inspection Points (BIP). Checks on meat products are carried out by local authorities. Consignments which do not comply with EU import conditions are either re-exported outside the EU or destroyed.
	If there is an outbreak of disease likely to present a risk to human or animal health, EU legislation permits us to take appropriate safeguard action, which may include a ban on imports of meat from all, or parts, of an affected country. Should such an outbreak occur within another EU member state, EU law compels the authorities to introduce measures to protect animal health including movement bans, protection and surveillance zones.
	In addition, all frontline HMRC detection staff include products of animal origin (POAO) as part of their anti-smuggling responsibilities. Within these resources there are also dedicated teams deployed (currently totalling around 100 officers) with prime responsibility for detecting illegal POAO imports. HMRC controls are carried out on the basis of risk assessments and other intelligence, so that the routes considered to pose the greatest disease risk are targeted . HMRC's activities are supported by the use of detector dogs and baggage X-ray scanning equipment.

Avian Influenza

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of those areas most at risk from the H5N1 virus spreading from Suffolk.

Ben Bradshaw: As part of our investigation into this outbreak we have been assessing the risk of onward spread of disease.
	Movements of anything that may have spread disease onto or away from the infected premises (IP) have been traced to identify 'at risk' premises. An investigation is carried out on these premises to establish whether disease is present.
	Within the surveillance zone (SZ) and protection zone (PZ) we have been assessing whether there has been any spread of disease to other poultry premises. This surveillance started within the PZ initially and is now moving out into the SZ (as risk reduces with distance from the IP). Poultry are undergoing clinical surveillances and waterfowl are being sampled for laboratory screening.
	Our investigations have not yet revealed any evidence of spread from the IP to other domestic flocks.
	Elsewhere in the country, we will continue to pursue our existing wild bird surveillance programme on live and dead wild birds which is targeted to those areas likely to be at greatest risk, including the restriction zone in Norfolk and Suffolk.

Avian Influenza

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of workers in the poultry industry have been vaccinated against avian influenza;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of people in the United Kingdom could be vaccinated against avian influenza with the stock his Department holds.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra does not hold information on human vaccination. This is a matter for the Department of Health.

Avian Influenza

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures his Department is taking to avoid a ban on UK poultry exports.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra is liaising closely with interested parties to identify key export markets for poultry. We work closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and UK Trade and Investment overseas posts to try to keep export markets open by providing information and reassurance about the avian influenza situation in the UK. Where necessary, Defra negotiates with the veterinary authorities of importing countries to get import bans lifted and/or to agree revised export health certification.

Avian Influenza

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what information his Department is providing to the public on the avian influenza outbreak;
	(2)  what advice he plans to provide to people within a future quarantine danger zone in the event of an outbreak of avian influenza.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra has conducted a range of communications activities for poultry keepers, industry personnel, vets, local residents and the general public. Some messages have been targeted within the protection and surveillance zones, but others have been sent to poultry keepers across Britain.
	Messages have kept recipients up-to-date with the latest developments and have given information on human health, biosecurity, movement restrictions, pets, wild birds surveillance, eating poultry and countryside access. Methods of communication have included conferences, teleconferences, text messages, press notices, information packs (door drops), emails and letters (including a mailout to all Suffolk residents).
	In addition, the latest information is available from the Defra website and the Defra Helpline.
	My Department keeps its emergency communications strategy under review.

Avian Influenza

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure that future incidents of avian influenza are reported immediately.

Ben Bradshaw: The law on this is clear. A notifiable disease (such as avian influenza) is a disease named in section 88 of the Animal Health Act 1981 or an order made under that Act. Section 15(1) of the Act says that:
	"any person having in their possession or under their charge an animal affected or suspected of having one of these diseases must, with all practicable speed, notify that fact to a police constable."
	In practice, if someone suspects signs of a notifiable disease, they must immediately notify a Defra Divisional Veterinary Manager.

Avian Influenza

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure avian influenza does not spread via employees working on poultry farms.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra has issued extensive guidance to bird keepers on biosecurity measures. The guidance, available on the Defra website, applies to everyone who enters a farm or premises with farm animals, or enters land used for grazing or keeping farm animals.
	It deals with the precautions to be taken when entering or leaving any premises with farm animals:
	i. in the absence of an outbreak of exotic notifiable disease;
	ii. after confirmation of an outbreak of exotic notifiable disease;
	iii. and to premises under specific animal disease restrictions.
	The guidance applies generally to all premises with farm animals and to all exotic diseases. When followed, it should help reduce the spread of animal diseases to other premises with farm animals. It is not intended to interfere with sensible public access to land and enjoyment of the countryside.
	Information and guidance on avoiding risk of zoonotic infections when working with poultry that is suspected of having highly pathogenic avian influenza has been produced by Defra and industry through the Government and industry working group. It is available on the Health and Safety Executive and Defra websites. This information and guidance is being followed in the current outbreak.
	In addition, my Department is working in conjunction with the Health Protection Unit who are fully engaged with human health risk assessments for State Veterinary Service staff, farm workers and those involved in the control operation. As a precautionary measure, those involved in the control of the avian influenza outbreak in Suffolk have been offered the appropriate preventive treatment with antiviral drugs (oseltamivir), seasonal flu vaccine and avian influenza personnel protective equipment in line with established protocols.
	Defra is assisting the Department of Health in offering free flu vaccination during this winter's flu season to those who work in close contact with poultry as a precautionary public health measure. Immunising poultry workers with seasonal flu vaccine to prevent the potential re-assortment of a bird flu virus was one of the public health measures set out in the UK Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan.

Avian Influenza

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure avian influenza does not spread via migratory birds.

Ben Bradshaw: Targeted surveillance for high pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza and other avian influenza viruses in wild birds is in place throughout the UK and is ongoing. The targeted surveillance focuses on species of wild birds that experts believe to have a greater potential role in the spread of avian influenza viruses. There is a comprehensive list which generally includes ducks, geese, swans, gulls and waders. Sampling is targeted to high priority surveillance areas; these have been chosen on the basis of abundance of migratory waterbird species and domestic poultry. Members of the public can report dead swans, ducks, geese, waders and gulls by calling the DEFRA Helpline 08459 33 55 77.
	Within the area around the infected premises in Suffolk, there will be enhanced levels of surveillance of wild birds. We are aware of 30 key waterbird locations in Suffolk (such as estuaries and marshes). 12 of these locations are within 20 kilometres of the infected premises of which 10 are patrolled regularly as part of the programme. Within the protection, surveillance and restricted zones we are requiring keepers to house their birds or otherwise separate them from contact with wild birds.
	DEFRA has also issued extensive guidance to bird keepers on biosecurity measures to protect their birds from avian influenza, which is housing and available on the DEFRA website. It is crucial that keepers follow these measures.

Avian Influenza

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many vehicles were used during the Suffolk H5N1 outbreak to transfer culled birds to be incinerated; and what vehicle types were used.

Ben Bradshaw: A total of 25 vehicles were used to transport culled birds from Suffolk to the rendering plant in Staffordshire. The trailers used were specialist, purpose built bulkers designed to transport animal by-products.

Beetles

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps are being taken to ensure that there is  (a) sufficient water available at Pashford Poors, Suffolk and  (b) high water quality at the Lewes Levels, East Sussex to ensure the survival of the (i) Pashford pot beetle and (ii) Sussex diving beetle;
	(2)  whether the habitat quality at the locations last known to be inhabited by the Pashford pot beetle and the Sussex diving beetle remains sufficient to ensure the survival of the two species.

Barry Gardiner: Little is known of the Pashford pot beetle, other than it is associated with wetlands. During the last century it was recorded from various sites in the Norfolk Broads and Lincolnshire fens but, since 1910, it has been known from only a single site, Pashford Poors Fen in Suffolk. It has not been seen since 1986.
	Pashford Poors Fen is probably not an ideal location for this species, as it comprises a series of small wetlands in a matrix of dry Breckland grassland. The area has not been subject to the extensive sallow scrub invasion that the beetle needs, and may be too small to support a thriving population.
	A study in 2006 found that, in Britain, the Sussex Diving Beetle,  Laccophilus poecilus (also called the Puzzled Skipper), has mainly been associated with grazing fen in richly vegetated ditch margins. However, this species can also occupy a wide range of stagnant habitats. Occasional captures of specimens in Yorkshire suggest that there is as yet an undiscovered colony.
	The RSPB has recently acquired a large area of land at Lewes Levels, which includes the last known recorded locality for this species. Over a year ago a site visit was undertaken by representatives from the RSPB, Natural England and the Aquatic Coleoptera Conservation Trust to determine what site management could be carried out for the species. The issue of water quality was also raised. It was considered that the construction of on-site water bodies (ponds) that were not linked to the main water system of ditches (and hence isolated from eutrophication) would be beneficial.
	Circumstance permitting, it is expected that the RSPB will undertake work to create suitable ponds in the near future.
	Overall, however, the primary conservation goal is to establish the Sussex Diving Beetle's exact status and locality. This will help to inform decisions about the most suitable steps to be taken to conserve this species.

Biodiversity

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of climate change on regions classified as biodiversity hotspots.

Barry Gardiner: The issue has been considered in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and a number of other recent scientific papers. We look forward to the publication, later this year, of the Working Group II contribution to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report which will include assessment of impacts on biodiversity.

Biofuels

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what acreage of biofuels was grown in England in each of the last five years.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 6 February 2007
	Definitive figures on the acreage of biofuels grown in England are not available. However some information on the area of oilseed rape grown for use in biofuel production is available from the Energy Aid Scheme which started in 2004. In England there were 32,237 hectares of oilseed rape grown in 2004 and in 2005 this had increased to 92,727 hectares.
	These figures may not capture all oilseed rape grown for biofuel production; only that declared under this particular scheme. Oilseed rape grown on other land and which may have been used for biofuel production is not known because there is no way of identifying the end use of the crop. From 1 April 2008, the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) will require a declaration of sustainability to help identify sources of biofuels.

Dairy Farming

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dairy farmers there are in England; and what the corresponding figure was in 1997.

Barry Gardiner: The number of holdings in England where dairy is the predominant farming activity are shown in the table. 2005 is currently the latest data available at this level of detail.
	
		
			   Number 
			 1997 18,007 
			 2005 12,918 
			  Note: Figures prior to 2000 are for main holdings only. Figures from 2000 onwards include all holdings.  Source: June Agricultural Survey.

Dairy Industry

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had, and with what groups, on the dairy industry.

Barry Gardiner: My noble Friend Lord Rooker and his officials meet with various organisations where dairy issues are raised and discussed.

Departmental Offices

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what area of office space his Department and its agencies used in central London in  (a) 2004 and  (b) 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs confirms that the Department and its agencies used the area of office space in central London detailed as follows:
	 (a) 2004
	Total area of properties owned (freehold) for the Department—nil
	Total area of properties owned (freehold) for its agencies—nil
	Total area of properties leased for the Department—71,312 square metres
	Total area of properties leased for the agencies—nil.
	 (b) 2006
	Total area of properties owned (freehold) for the Department—nil
	Total area of properties owned (freehold) for its agencies—nil
	Total area of properties leased for the Department—65,063 square metres
	Total area of properties leased for the agencies—nil.

Domestic Wastes

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of total waste was household waste in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Household waste accounted for an estimated 9 per cent. of the total 335 million tonnes of waste produced in the UK in 2004.
	The latest data for municipal waste show that the amount of waste collected from household sources decreased by 0.8 per cent. in 2005-06, from 25.7 million tonnes in 2004-05, to 25.5 million tonnes in 2005-06.

Electronic Equipment: Recycling

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans his Department has to increase the proportion of  (a) technological and  (b) white goods recycled.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra is working closely with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on the implementation of the EU waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive. From July 2007, the directive makes producers financially responsible for the treatment and recycling of electronic equipment when it becomes waste.
	The WEEE regulations apply to electrical and electronic equipment which fall within the 10 product categories listed in the WEEE directive. This includes both small and large household appliances (which will include white goods), IT and telecommunications equipment as well as other consumer equipment. In particular, the regulations transpose the treatment and permitting requirements of the directive, which are intended to improve the environmental performance of operators directly involved in the treatment of WEEE.
	Defra has also worked with the DTI on the implementation of the EU RoHS (Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment) directive. Since 1 July 2006, the RoHS regulations have restricted the use of six substances in the manufacture of electrical and electronic equipment, meaning that they will be easier to treat and recycle when they become waste.

Energy: Public buildings

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to reduce energy consumption in public buildings.

Ian Pearson: Building owners, including the public sector, now face new responsibilities under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and Part L (Conservation of Fuel and Power) of the Building Regulations to tackle energy efficiency in all new buildings and when refurbishing existing buildings. The revised legal framework and Approved Documents for Part L (Conservation of fuel and power) that came into effect on 6 April 2006, is expected to reduce carbon emissions introduced by up to 27 per cent. for non-domestic buildings.
	The Energy Review, published on 11 July 2006, includes strengthened new targets for the Government Office estate. This commits us to go carbon neutral by 2012, and that we will reduce carbon emissions by 30 per cent. by 2020.
	To help achieve these targets, Carbon Management from the Carbon Trust provides a strategic view on how carbon impacts public sector organisations by identifying the risks and opportunities associated with climate change. There are specialist tailored programmes for local authorities, higher education and the NHS.
	We have also provided funding of around £20 million for a new revolving fund for the whole of the public sector, to finance investment in energy efficiency. Salix, a company operated by the Carbon Trust, uses this funding to set up ring-fenced recycled loan funds in public sector organisations where funding is matched by the organisation and used to invest in cost-effective, long-term energy saving projects such as insulation, heating and lighting.

Energy; Conservation

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will allow smart meters to be included on the list of products that can be used by the Energy Saving Trust for the energy efficient commitment (EEC3); and when he will make a decision on which products may be allowed.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 5 February 2007
	We are considering smart meters as part of our consultation on energy billing and metering to take forward the measures in the 2006 Energy Review and the transposition of the European Community Directive on Energy End Use Efficiency and Energy Services. Responses from the consultation, ending on 6 February 2007, will help to formulate our position on billing and metering issues to be published in the Energy White Paper.
	The statutory consultation on the third phase of the Energy Efficiency Commitment 2008-11 (EEC3), planned for spring 2007, will cover a range of measures that energy suppliers may promote to achieve carbon savings in the household sector. It will take account of possible developments on transposition of the Energy End Use and Energy Services Directive.

Envirowise

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been allocated to Envirowise for the year 2006-07.

Ben Bradshaw: The total amount of funding allocated to the Envirowise programme for the year 2006-07 is £18,874,493.

Envirowise

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2007,  Official Report, column 768W, on Envirowise, what measurements are used to evaluate the effect of the Envirowise programme; and what the outcomes of the programme have been in relation to  (a) increased business profits,  (b) minimising business waste and  (c) reducing environmental impact of businesses.

Ben Bradshaw: Independent assessments of Envirowise's impact on UK business have been regularly undertaken since the programme's formation. These assessments measure the level of savings, both financial and in terms of various waste streams, that have been achieved from the programme's encouragement of waste minimisation and resource efficient practices. Types of waste streams measured include water, effluent, raw materials and solid waste.
	The programme has, since its inception in 1994, helped business make over £1.3 billion in cumulative savings while at the same time reducing business waste to landfill by 8.5 million tonnes.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to change the way in which fishing quotas are allocated; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: In the light of the "Net Benefits" report by the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit, Defra and the devolved fisheries administrations have embarked upon a programme of change to the UK's quota management arrangements. Work on this programme has been taken forward in association with interested parties. Options are being developed which will be subject to full public consultation during 2007. The overall objective of the programme is to achieve a quota management system which is capable of meeting the current and future needs of all sectors of the fishing industry.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list those who have been in receipt of the UK allocation of fishing quota in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: Under the UK's quota management rules, quota allocations are issued annually by fisheries administrations to the following groups:
	(i) fish producer organisations (FPOs)
	(ii) the non-sector (comprising vessels over 10 m in length not in membership of an FPO)
	(iii) the 10 m and under fleet
	(iv) the Isle of Man Government
	(v) the Lunar Group of pelagic vessels
	(vi) the mackerel handline fleet in waters off the South West coast of England
	(vii) the group of vessels fishing for herring in the Irish sea.
	The FPOs currently in receipt of quota allocations are the Aberdeen FPO, the Anglo-North Irish FPO, the Anglo-Scottish FPO, the Cornish FPO, the Eastern England (formerly the Grimsby) FPO, the Fife FPO, the Fish Producers' Organisation Ltd., the Fleetwood FPO, the Lowestoft FPO, the North East of Scotland FPO, the Northern PO, the Northern Ireland FPO, the North Sea Fishermen's Organisation, the Orkney FPO, the Scottish Fishermen's Organisation, the Shetland FPO, the South Western FPO, the Wales and West Coast FPO, and the West of Scotland FPO.
	The changes in the recipients of quota allocations since 1997 have been:
	(a) the Orkney FPO was first issued with allocations in 2000
	(b) prior to 2004, allocations were issued to the Yorkshire and Anglia FPO
	(c) the Isle of Man Government was first issued with allocations in 2004.

Flood Control

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contingency plans have been drawn up in the event of Bournemouth flooding.

Ian Pearson: Defra has lead responsibility for national preparedness for flooding in England and is working, as part of the Cabinet Office-led Capabilities Programme, to build the capability of all key players across the country. Regionally, the lead planning role falls to the Government offices for the regions working with local authorities, the Environment Agency and emergency services. The police will lead the response during an actual emergency. The Environment Agency has a role in forecasting and warning of potential flooding from rivers and the sea.
	I understand Bournemouth borough council has an incident plan which includes flooding. The Environment Agency has worked closely with the council and emergency services to ensure they have an understanding of the risks within Bournemouth, including the vulnerable nature of some communities such as residents of mobile homes. The agency has worked with these communities and the council to increase public awareness of the risks and to improve resilience, for example, through residents' flood plans and emergency exercises at locations such as Iford Bridge.

Flood Control

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans there are to improve flood defences at Sunderland Point, Morecambe.

Ian Pearson: Sunderland Point is an exposed low-lying headland at the mouth of the River Lune. Lancaster City council is carefully monitoring erosion of the Point, which is taking place at an average rate of approximately 0.5 to 1m a year. The nearest properties in the area are more than 200 meters from the Point.
	The Environment Agency has warning systems in place in relation to high tides and storm surge conditions, and is involved in ongoing discussions with Lancaster City council, Natural England and local landowners about flood risks.

Flowers: Imports

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what controls are placed on the import of flowers into the UK in relation to the use of  (a) pesticides and  (b) environmentally unsustainable practices; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: We do not monitor imported flowers for pesticides residues nor do we have any power to insist that the material is produced in an environmentally sustainable way. However, EU common quality standards require that marketed cut flowers must be free of pesticide residues that affect the visual quality of the product and the Plant Health Order requires that they must also be free from certain plant pests, which do not normally occur in the UK.
	The Pesticides Safety Directorate has provided technical assistance to Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Uganda as part of the EC-funded Pesticides Initiative Programme, which covers the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific group of states. Activities include visits to assist the regulatory authorities with capacity building of their structures and processes, and delivering training programmes covering the technical, policy and procedural requirements of pesticides regulation.

Flowers: Imports

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions his Department has had on the involvement of UK companies in the import or production of flowers produced overseas using chemicals banned in the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: There have been no discussions on this issue with my department.

Freedom of Information

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether his Department proposes to amend the Environmental Information regulations analogously to its proposed amendments to Freedom of Information provisions;
	(2)  what plans he has to amend the provisions for the calculation of fees and the fees-ceiling for requests made under the Environmental Information Regulations.

Barry Gardiner: There are no plans for changing the Regulations. The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 transpose the EU Directive 2003/4/EC on public access to environmental information into UK Law.
	The Environmental Information Regulations have no provision for the calculation of fees. They stipulate that any charge should not exceed an amount which a public authority is satisfied is a reasonable amount which reflects both the Aarhus Convention and the EU Directive from which they derive. However DEFRA will make changes to the guidance on the Environmental Information Regulations in the light of any changes to the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004 to help the general public and public authorities deal with the two distinct information access regimes.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many homeowners have declined a Warm Front grant when the total cost proposed exceeded the grant maxima; what steps his Department takes to secure funding from other sources when such homeowners are asked to pay the excess; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Since June 2005, all eligible Warm Front applicants received a minimum of energy advice and energy efficient light bulbs.
	However 2,133 householders declined a main heating measure when the grant maxima was exceeded.
	These 2,133 householders account for 4.8 per cent. of all cases that exceed the grant maxima.
	Of the 2,133 cases highlighted, 347 received an alternative heating measure within the grant maxima. This leaves 1,786 householders who did not receive a main heating measure.
	My Department is looking at various option to reduce, and potentially remove, the need for some customers to contribute towards Warm Front measures.

Inland Waterways: Repairs and Maintenance

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in which year British Waterways expects to clear its backlog of statutory maintenance work and to comply with its statutory duties; and whether this date has changed as a result of reductions in grant-in-aid during 2006-07.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 6 February 2007
	Substantial investment by Government has helped British Waterways eliminate its safety backlog and reduce its long-term maintenance arrears from £270 million (worth £398 million today) in 1996-97, to £97 million by end of March 2007.
	British Waterways had anticipated spending around £31 million in 2006-07 on its maintenance arrears programme. However following a reduction in its budget, the outturn expenditure is likely to be around £26 million. Taken as a proportion of annual spend on statutory maintenance, this amounts to around two months expenditure. I will be discussing British Waterway's plans for management of its arrears in the context of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Internal Drainage Boards

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what his Department's policy is on the future of internal drainage boards;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the likely effects of his Department's report on the future workings of internal drainage boards.

Ian Pearson: The Government recognise Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) perform a valuable role in water level management at a local level and we see this continuing into the future.
	In August 2005, DEFRA engaged JBA Consulting to undertake an independent review of IDBs in England to assess how accountable, effective and efficient they are, so that they are ready to reflect modern approaches, including the portfolio approach to flood and coastal erosion risk management advocated in our Making space for water strategy.
	We hope shortly to publish an implementation plan setting out a range of actions, some of which reflect existing IDB good practice such as strengthened asset and environmental management. These should help IDBs to remain fit for purpose in the 21(st) Century.

Landfill

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2006,  Official Report, column 490W, on landfill, how much funding was provided via central government grants to local authorities to compensate for landfill tax in the last year for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The main source of funding for local authorities' waste management services is the Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services (EPCS) block of Government grant, distributed each year. The amount of grant awarded is based on a formula which takes into account each authority's population, social structure and other characteristics. It is for each local authority to decide what proportion of the block to invest in waste management services. The Government actively encourage local authorities to promote recycling and other sustainable waste management practices, in order to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill and, therefore, cut harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
	In 2005-06, £220 million was allocated to local authorities in England for waste management projects, comprising £45 million from the Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund, £40 million from the Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant, £130 million via private finance initiatives and £5 million through the Household Incentives Pilot Scheme. An additional £16.2 million was awarded to local authorities over the two year period 2004-06 via the Waste and Resources Action Programme for local communications.

Office of Fair Trading

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on his Department's response to the Office of Fair Trading's report The commercial use of public information.

Barry Gardiner: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs (Mr. McCartney) on 8 January 2007,  Official Report, column 315W.

Oil and Pipeline Agency

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the salary was of the Chief Executive of the Oil and Pipeline Agency  (a) at its launch and  (b) in May 1997; and what the salary will be of the new incumbent on taking up his post.

Adam Ingram: I have been asked to reply.
	At the launch of the Oil and Pipeline Agency in 1986 there was not a post of chief executive. The salary of the general manager was £34,430 plus £1,320 lunch allowance. In 1997 the salary of the general manager was £73,700 plus £1,060 lunch allowance.
	The post of chief executive currently being advertised has a salary range of £100,000 to £120,000 plus a percentage bonus based on key deliverables and a lunch allowance of £1,320. A new incumbent has not yet been selected and his/her exact starting salary, including bonus, will depend on track record and experience.

Pollution Control

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how much his Department paid to the Centre for Sustainable Energy to commission research on individual carbon allowances; and what funding is planned;
	(2)  what plans he has for individual carbon limits for individuals; how he envisages such carbon limits would be enforced; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will place in the Library a copy of feasibility study carried out by the Centre for Sustainable Energy for his Department into individual carbon allowances;
	(4)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the report on domestic tradable quotas submitted to the Climate Change Programme Review.

Ian Pearson: The Government are looking into the feasibility of tradable personal carbon allowances. This is just one of a number of potential long term options being explored for making individuals better informed about, and involved in, tackling climate change.
	In August 2006, Defra provided funding of £5,422.50 (plus VAT) to the Centre for Sustainable Energy to undertake an initial scoping study into the concept of individual carbon trading.
	This study concludes that a personal carbon allowance and trading system has the potential to achieve emissions savings in a fairer way than carbon taxes. The Government are now developing a work programme which should provide the information to lead to a decision on whether or not a personal carbon allowance is a realistic and workable policy option. Any future research funding will be considered as part of this work programme.
	I have arranged for copies of the Centre for Sustainable Energy report, "A Rough Guide to Individual Carbon Trading: The ideas, the issues and the next steps", and the December 2005, Tyndall Centre report, "Domestic Tradable Quotas: A policy instrument for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy use", to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Pollution Control: Local Authorities

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the cost of emissions trading to local authorities; and whether this cost will be funded under the New Burdens principle.

Ian Pearson: A full regulatory impact assessment would be carried out prior to any new mandatory emissions trading scheme being established. The Government look at all pressures on local government, and the extent to which they can be managed, when setting the overall level of funding for local authorities.

Potatoes

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the long-term stability of the variety of the GM blight resistant potato approved for field trials.

Ian Pearson: On the basis of advice from its Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE), DEFRA has not required BASF, the applicant for the trials, to provide data on the long-term stability of these lines of GM blight resistant potato. This is because the stability of the GM potatoes does not pose any identifiable risk to the environment within the context of this research trial.

Poultry

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that all owners of poultry are registered, including those with a stock of 50 or less.

Ben Bradshaw: As of 7 February 2007, the GB Poultry Register held details of 23,871 premises. A total of 257, 651,184 birds have been registered.
	Owners of a commercial poultry premises with 50 or more birds are required by law to register their holding, even if the premises is only stocked with 50 or more birds for part of the year. DEFRA, and poultry keeping organisations, continue to remind such keepers that there is a requirement to register.
	Although premises with fewer than 50 birds are not required by law to register, it is possible for owners of smaller flocks to register on a voluntary basis. My Department actively encourages them to do so through a number of routes including local animal health offices and various promotional materials.

Poultry: Disease Control

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's  (a) immediate and  (b) long-term plans are to improve bio-security on poultry farms.

Ben Bradshaw: All bird keepers, within the protection, surveillance and restricted zones have received information packs and texts reminding them to be vigilant for signs of disease and the need to house or isolate their birds to prevent contact with the wild bird population.
	Defra has issued extensive guidance to bird keepers on biosecurity measures to protect their birds from avian influenza; this is also available on the Defra website. It is crucial that poultry keepers follow these measures. Poultry owners should plan how they will manage any free range birds if there is a need to isolate them from wild birds. Owners need to be vigilant and monitor their birds frequently.
	Defra is running advertising campaigns in trade and specialist publications to raise awareness of biosecurity and avian influenza.
	The epidemiological investigation into the source of infection in Suffolk is still ongoing. We will review the findings when they are available and make any necessary revisions to our biosecurity advice.

Recycling: Equipment

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action his Department is taking to promote the recycling of obsolete technological equipment.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra is working closely with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on the implementation of the ED Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. From July this year, the directive makes producers financially responsible for the treatment and recycling of electronic equipment when it becomes waste. In particular, Defra has made the regulations transposing the treatment and permitting requirements of the directive, which are intended to improve the environmental performance of operators directly involved in the treatment of WEEE.
	Defra has also worked with the DTI on the implementation of the EU RoHS (Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment) Directive. Since 1 July 2006, the RoHS regulations have restricted the use of six substances in the manufacture of electrical and electronic equipment, meaning that they will be easier to treat and recycle when they become waste.

Rural Areas

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of the  (a) recommendations and  (b) targets in the 2000 Rural White Paper (i) have yet to be met and (ii) are no longer being pursued.

Barry Gardiner: "Our Countryside: The Future", often referred to as the Rural White Paper, did not include a specific set of targets for the purposes of monitoring its delivery. Nor did it include a specific set of recommendations. We have, however, monitored progress against more than 260 separate commitments. Of these, 235 have been delivered, 19 have been overtaken by other developments and work on a further six remains to be completed.

Seals: EC Action

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the UK's policy is on the proposed ban on Canadian seal products currently before the EU.

Ben Bradshaw: My right hon. Friend, Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs (Mr. McCartney), made an announcement by ministerial statement on 8 February 2007,  Official Report, column 43WS, on this issue.

Seas and Oceans: Environment Protection

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to publish a White Paper on the proposed Marine Bill.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra plans to publish a white paper on the proposed Marine Bill in March 2007.

Stewardship

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of farms he estimates are likely to be included in the higher level stewardship scheme.

Barry Gardiner: We estimate that approximately 10 per cent. of agricultural land in England could enter the HLS scheme. HLS is targeted at high value nature sites such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and, other areas which could benefit from a high level of bio-diversity management. By the end of January there were 1,151 agreements covering 79,225 hectares in the scheme.

Swans

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of whooper swans that settle in England each year; where they stay; whether any of the sites are potentially affected by road schemes; and if he will make a statement on the protections afforded to the swans.

Barry Gardiner: Whooper swan numbers in the United Kingdom are counted each year as part of the Wetland Bird Survey organised by the British Trust for Ornithology, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. The latest counts, covering winter 2003-04, found a peak of 7,558 birds in January 2004. The wintering population in the UK has increased substantially during the past 20 years.
	Using the most recent five year averages, three sites in England support internationally important numbers of whooper swans (210 birds or more) and five sites support nationally important numbers (57 birds or more). These are listed in the following table:
	
		
			  Internationally important sites  Nationally important sites 
			 Ouse washes, Cambridgeshire/Norfolk Nene Washes, Cambridgeshire 
			 Martin Mere and the Ribble Estuary, Lancashire Caistron Quarry, Northumberland 
			 The Solway Estuary, Cumbria Lower Derwent Ings, North and East Yorkshire 
			  Warkworth Lane Ponds, Northumberland 
			  Lindisfarne, Northumberland 
		
	
	Whooper swans are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981), and are listed in Annex 1 of the EC wild birds directive ("the birds directive") which requires that special measures are taken to conserve their habitats. Seven sites in England have been designated as special protection areas under the birds directive for their wintering whooper swan populations.
	I am not aware of any road schemes that pose a threat to whooper swans at the sites which support significant concentrations of birds in England.

Waste Disposal

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance the Audit Commission has published since 1997 on municipal waste collection.

Ben Bradshaw: I am not aware of any specific guidance published on municipal waste collection by the Audit Commission. However, the Audit Commission has published a number of guidance documents containing advice to local councils on how they can meet their statutory requirements with regards to waste by improving their waste management and adopting best practice. The Audit Commission also examines the performance of councils and the services they provide, including waste, through the Comprehensive Performance Assessment, and provides recommendations for improvement.

Waste Disposal

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance  (a) his Department and its agencies and  (b) the Waste Resources Action Programme have provided to local authorities on the use of CCTV to monitor (i) recycling and (ii) municipal waste disposal.

Ben Bradshaw: Local authorities are responsible for planning and monitoring their closed circuit television (CCTV) systems and there has been no guidance issued by Defra to encourage their use at municipal waste facilities or to monitor recycling.
	In one of their published guidance documents, "Management of green waste at civic amenity sites a good practice guide", the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) referred to CCTV as one of a number of approaches available to local authorities to improve security at civic amenity sites. This was particularly in relation to monitoring potential trade waste abuse and fly-tipping at sites. WRAP does not, however, make any specific recommendation regarding its use and has not provided any specific guidance on the installation and use of CCTV by local authorities in relation to recycling and municipal waste disposal.

Waste Disposal

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether a Regulatory Impact Assessment has been published for the implementation of EU Directive 2006/012/EC;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the implications of EU Directive 2006/012/EC for municipal waste collection and disposal; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: As it had been amended a number of times since its original adoption, the European Commission decided to clarify the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) by drawing up a 'codification' of its provisions. A measure of this kind is known in the UK as the 'consolidation' of legislation. Directive 75/442/EEC (as amended) was therefore repealed with effect from 17 May 2006 and the WFD's provisions are now contained in Directive 2006/12/EC.
	The codification of the WFD as Directive 2006/12/EC did not change existing EU legislation, so a Regulatory Impact Assessment was not required. The codification also has no implications for municipal waste collection and disposal.
	On 21 December 2005, the European Commission published its Waste Thematic Strategy and proposals to revise the WFD. I made a written ministerial statement on 12 October 2006,  Official Report, column 34WS announcing the publication of a UK-wide consultation, including a Partial Regulatory Impact Assessment, on the proposed revision of the WFD. Copies of the consultation paper were placed in the Libraries of the House and on the Defra website. The consultation closed on 5 January 2007. Responses are now being considered and will be taken into account in the ongoing negotiations.

Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether his Department maintains a list of councils which have moved to alternate weekly collection of rubbish;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of councils which have introduced alternate weekly waste collections which have consequently cut council tax.

Ben Bradshaw: The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is aware of a number of local authorities (LAs) providing alternate weekly collection of household waste and provides support and guidance to these LAs on best practice in operating such a service.
	However, as this area is subject to rapid change, WRAP cannot guarantee that information it holds on LAs operating an alternate weekly collection service is up to date.
	No estimate has been made of the number of councils which have introduced alternate weekly collections and consequently cut council tax.

Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has undertaken on the relative contribution of  (a) the recycling process and  (b) landfill to climate change emissions.

Ben Bradshaw: A study published in May 2006 by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), on the environmental benefits of recycling, estimated that recycling certain key materials saves between 10 to 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per year, compared to applying the current mix of landfill and incineration with energy recovery. This is the equivalent of taking around 3.5 million cars off UK roads for one year.
	Another recent study carried out for DEFRA, to be published shortly, examined the lifecycle carbon impacts of principal waste streams. This is providing further information on the relative contributions of various waste management processes to climate change emissions. It is also informing he Government's revised Waste Strategy, which we intend to publish in the spring.
	Recycling and composting biodegradable waste, that would otherwise go to landfill, also helps reduce landfill methane emissions, which account for three per cent of the UK's total greenhouse gas emissions and is 20 times more portent than CO2. The recycling of all materials saves energy, including through the reduced need for raw material extraction.

Water Bills

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2006,  Official Report, column 57W, on water bills, what the average domestic water bill including sewerage in England and Wales was in actual prices in each year since 1996-97.

Ian Pearson: Ofwat is the economic regulator for the water and sewerage industry in England and Wales and sets price limits for each water company at price reviews.
	The following table sets out the average household bills for water and sewerage customers in England and Wales since 1996-97 in prices of the day. Inflation between 1996-97 and 2006-07 was 29 per cent. The increase in average household bills was 33 per cent. including inflation over this period.
	Individual bills can be more or less than the average. More information can be found in Ofwat's 'Water and sewerage charges 2006-07 report'.
	
		
			  Average household bills for water and sewerage in prices of the day 
			  £ 
			 1996-97 221 
			 1997-98 228 
			 1998-99 237 
			 1999-2000 247 
			 2000-01 220 
			 2001-02 225 
			 2002-03 227 
			 2003-04 236 
			 2004-05 249 
			 2005-06 279 
			 2006-07 294 
			  Note: Bills for 2005-06 and 2006-07 are estimates based on provisional and forecast data respectively provided by each company, for the year ending 31 March.

Water Bills

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average change in domestic water bills in England was in each year since 1997.

Ian Pearson: Ofwat is the economic regulator for water and sewerage services in England and Wales and sets price limits for each water company at price reviews. The following table sets out average household bills for water and sewerage in each year since 1997 in real terms and the percentage change in real terms. Figures are in 2006-07 prices.
	Individual bills can be more or less than the average. More information can be found in Ofwat's "Water and sewerage charges 2006-07 report".
	
		
			   Average household bills in 2006-07 prices (£)  Percentage change 
			 1997-98 286 0.5 
			 1998-99 288 0.5 
			 1999-2000 291 1.3 
			 2000-01 256 -12.3 
			 2001-02 253 -0.9 
			 2002-03 254 0.1 
			 2003-04 256 1.0 
			 2004-05 263 2.8 
			 2005-06 286 8.4 
			 2006-07 294 3.0 
		
	
	The bills for 2005-06 and 2006-07 are estimates based respectively on provisional and forecast data supplied by companies for the year ending 31 March.

Water: Standards

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the quality standards of tap water.

Ian Pearson: Audits and inspections of water companies in England and Wales, and enforcement action to ensure compliance with the Water Quality Regulations—including investigation of customer complaints and incidents which affect drinking water supplies—is dealt with by the Drinking Water Inspectorate. The inspectorate was formed in 1990 to provide independent reassurance that public water supplies in England and Wales are safe and drinking water quality is acceptable to consumers.
	Water companies have a duty to collect and test samples for each of the substances and organisms in the regulations, and must make the results of this testing available to their customers. The inspectorate's role is to carry out independent checks to ensure that this testing is being performed to a high standard of quality control.
	The original EU drinking water standards were implemented in England and Wales in 1989. Compliance is measured by results of tests on samples from consumers' taps. Compliance figures for each year from 1992 to 2003 are in the following table.
	
		
			   Compliance (percentage) 
			 1992 98.65 
			 1993 98.95 
			 1994 99.28 
			 1995 99.45 
			 1996 99.70 
			 1997 99.75 
			 1998 99.78 
			 1999 99.82 
			 2000 99.83 
			 2001 99.86 
			 2002 99.87 
			 2003 99.88 
		
	
	New EU drinking water standards came into force from the end of 2003. Compliance with the new standards in England and Wales was 99.94 per cent. in 2004 and 99.96 per cent. in 2005.

Watercourses

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will take steps to ensure that changes in the available budget of his Department and its associated public bodies do not adversely affect watercourse drainage and maintenance, especially in high value agricultural areas.

Ian Pearson: DEFRA has overall policy responsibility for flood risk management in England, funds most of the Environment Agency (EA)'s flood related work and grant aids individual capital improvement projects undertaken by local authorities and internal drainage boards. The programme to manage risk is driven by these operating authorities. DEFRA does not carry out works, nor direct the authorities on which specific projects to undertake.
	The only budget reduction for flood risk management has been the reduction in the DEFRA-funded EA resource budget for 2006-07 from £238 million to £223 million. The EA capital budget (which delivers new and improved defences and flood warning systems) of £190 million was not affected, nor were the capital budgets for the other authorities.
	The EA has maintained investment levels in 2006-07 in non-recurring maintenance—which improves the condition of defences—but has had to reduce the scale of routine maintenance in some regions. I understand the EA has managed the impact of the reduction so as to minimise the impact on flood risks.
	The EA's allocation of DEFRA grant in aid for flood risk management in 2007-08 will be £435.7 million. This is an increase compared to the 2006-07 original allocation and more than restores the in-year reduction in 2006-07.

Whaling

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of other governments on whaling since the last meeting of the International Whaling Commission; when he next plans to discuss whaling with foreign counterparts; and with whom.

Ben Bradshaw: I have raised the issue of whaling at every appropriate opportunity with members of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
	In support of the UK's position I also raised the issue of IWC membership at a recent meeting of EU Environment Ministers in Luxembourg and sent copies of our recent publication "Protecting Whales—A Global Responsibility" to 57 countries, both anti and pro-whaling, encouraging them to join the effort to protect these species.
	Defra officials also ensure that Foreign and Commonwealth Office posts in the relevant capitals are briefed, and engage in discussion with their counterparts on whaling at every appropriate opportunity. This ensures that these countries are in no doubt of the importance that the UK attaches to whale conservation.
	The UK will continue to make clear our objections to those countries that support whaling, both before and during the next annual meeting of the IWC in Alaska in May.

Whaling

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with  (a) Ministers,  (b) officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and  (c) Cabinet colleagues on whaling over the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Since the last annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), I have written to colleagues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and the Department of Trade and Industry encouraging them to lobby countries to join the IWC and also to stress to those countries that continue to support whaling the importance the UK attaches to whale conservation.
	I asked that they particularly point to the significant economic and social benefits arising from both whale conservation and the whale-watching industry and to express the view that the decision to resume or support the resumption of commercial whaling could seriously undermine those benefits.
	The Secretary of State has also had correspondence with the Prime Minister on this matter, resulting in the latter's agreeing to sign a foreword to the Defra leaflet "Protecting Whales—A Global Responsibility" published recently.

Whaling

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when he next intends to discuss the international moratorium on whaling with representatives of the Governments of  (a) Dominica,  (b) Gabon,  (c) Gambia,  (d) Grenada,  (e) Kiribati,  (f) Mali,  (g) the Marshall Islands,  (h) Mauritania,  (i) Mongolia,  (j) Morocco,  (k) Nauru,  (l) Nicaragua,  (m) Norway,  (n) Palau,  (o) the Russian Federation,  (p) St Kitts and Nevis,  (q) St Lucia,  (r) St Vincent and the Grenadines,  (s) Senegal,  (t) the Solomon Islands,  (u) Suriname,  (v) Togo,  (w) Tuvalu,  (x) Korea,  (y) Iceland and  (z) Guinea;
	(2)  when he next plans to discuss the international moratorium on whaling with  (a) his Japanese counterpart and  (b) representatives of the governments of (i) Antigua and Barbuda, (ii) Benin, (iii) Cambodia, (iv) Cameroon, (v) Côte d'Ivoire and (vi) Denmark.

Ben Bradshaw: I have raised the issue of whaling at every appropriate opportunity with pro-whaling members of the IWC. In support of the UK's position I also raised the issue of IWC membership at a recent meeting of EU Environment Ministers in Luxembourg and sent copies of our recent publication 'Protecting Whales—A Global Responsibility' to 57 countries, both anti and pro-whaling, encouraging them to join the effort to protect these species.
	DEFRA officials also ensure that Foreign and Commonwealth Office posts in the relevant capitals are briefed, and engage in discussion with their counterparts on whaling at every appropriate opportunity. This ensures that these countries are in no doubt of the importance that the UK attaches to whale conservation.
	The UK will continue to make clear our objections to those countries that support whaling, both before and during the next annual meeting of the IWC in Alaska In May.

Wind Power

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) public and  (b) other bodies must (i) be consulted and (ii) give their approval before building an offshore wind farm; what the average approval and consultation times are; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department shares the responsibility, with DTI and DFT, for the PSA target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 12.5 per cent. below 1990 levels and move towards a 20 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions below 1990 levels by 2010.
	To achieve these targets, an increasing amount of electricity will need to be supplied from renewable sources. Both Defra and DTI are responsible for issuing the relevant statutory licences for offshore wind farms - Defra in relation to construction in tidal waters and at sea and DTI in relation to energy generation.
	Applications and their accompanying environmental impact assessments are subject to consultation with a range of public and non-public bodies (see following table). This list is not a definitive one—names can be removed or added to the list and wind farm developers are also required to issue public notices in connection with each application.
	Defra and DTI work hard to resolve concerns raised by statutory consultees before licences are granted.
	The standard consultation period is eight weeks. However, issues raised during this time are often complex and can take several months to resolve. Currently, the approval process takes a minimum of 12 months.
	We are planning to use the Marine Bill to simplify the regulation of offshore wind developments.
	
		
			  Offshore wind farms—DTI/Defra licence consultee list 
			  Natural England  Statutory consultee 
			 Countryside Council for Wales (where appropriate) Statutory consultee 
			 Environment Agency — 
			   
			 Joint Nature Conservation Committee (where appropriate) Statutory consultee 
			 English Heritage — 
			 Cadw (where appropriate) — 
			   
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency Statutory consultee 
			 Trinity House Lighthouse Services — 
			 Chamber of Shipping — 
			 Royal Yachting Association — 
			 Local port authority (if appropriate) — 
			 National Federation of Fishermens' Organisations — 
			 Local Sea Fisheries Committee — 
			 British Marine Aggregate Producers Association — 
			   
			 Welsh Assembly Government (where appropriate) — 
			 Ministry of Defence — 
			 Department for Transport — 
			   
			 Ofcom — 
			 Civil Aviation Authority — 
			 National Air Traffic Service — 
			 Local airport (if appropriate) — 
			   
			 Local planning authorities (as appropriate) — 
			   
			 Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (scientific advisers to Defra) —

Wood Fibre

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent meetings he has held with stakeholders to discuss the forecast increase in demand for wood fibre by the renewable energy industry; and what action he plans to take in response to the situation.

Barry Gardiner: Forestry Commission England intend to publish a woodfuel strategy which will address the issue of increasing woodfuel available from existing woodlands. In Scotland the Scottish Executive is about to publish its Biomass Action Plan and this will lay out its proposals for developing the bioenergy sector in Scotland. Long-term availability of biomass will also be considered in the UK Biomass Strategy which the Government intend to publish before May 2007.
	Officials from Defra and the Forestry Commission hold regular discussions with those involved with feedstock procurement for these projects. The Secretary of State has not held any recent meetings to discuss demand for wood fibre specifically. However, I have discussed woodfuel with both the England Forest Industry Partnership and the industry body, CONFOR (Confederation of Forest Industries).

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what operational requirements have affected the decision not to send Bell Griffin HAR2 helicopters from Cyprus to Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: The Bell Griffin HAR2 helicopter is not being sent to Afghanistan because there is no requirement for them.

Agency Personnel: Scotland

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of its personnel budget for 2005-06 the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory spent in Scotland in  (a) monetary terms and  (b) as a percentage of the total personnel budget; how much was spent for each category in 2004-05; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: As part of the ongoing Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) site rationalisation plan all Dstl jobs were relocated from Glasgow and Dunfermline to Dstl Porton Down by 31 March 2004. However, the redundancy/early retirement costs were paid in the financial year of 2004-05.
	Currently, Dstl only has two members of staff based in Scotland, both of whom are on secondment to the MOD. In the financial years 2004-05 and 2005-06 Dstl spent £3,500 of its personnel budget in Scotland, this was 0.09 per cent. of the total Dstl personnel budget. This funding was spent on the participation of Dstl in recruitment fairs.

Armed Forces: Body Armour

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sets of body armour have been issued to British troops and then recalled for the purpose of distribution to other personnel in the last five years.

Adam Ingram: Body armour is not centrally recalled for the purpose of redistribution.
	Details of the body armour supplied in the last five years are shown in the table:
	
		
			  Type  Sets  Component Parts 
			 Enhanced Combat Body Armour (ECBA) — 704,205 
			 Kestrel Body Armour 4,600 — 
			 Osprey Body Armour 15,500 — 
			  Notes:  1. ECBA component parts comprise fillers, plates, desert covers, woodland covers, civilian blue covers and UN blue covers.  2. Over the last five years approximately 168,500 ECBA ballistic plates have been supplied. These are generally issued at a rate of two plates each, which equates to approximately 84,250 individuals. However there are occasions where individual plates may be issued, such as replacements for damaged plates, and some will be held as stock. 
		
	
	It is policy that all personnel deploying on operations are issued with their personnel set of ECBA. In addition to this standard issue capability, two additional variants of body armour have been developed to meet different operational requirements known as Kestrel Osprey body armour. These different types of body armour allow force commanders to choose the appropriate balance between protection and mobility depending on the specific operational circumstances, threats and missions. There are enough sets of all types of body armour in Iraq and Afghanistan to supply all those that need them.
	In the early stages of Telic, there was an acknowledged initial shortfall of ECBA in theatre. The allocation of ECBA was, therefore, decided locally by commanders on the ground, based on role: dismounted close combat soldiers, primarily infantry, were given the highest priority, followed by soldiers mounted in unarmoured vehicles, mounted armoured soldiers considered the lowest risk.

Armed Forces: Casualty Reporting

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2007,  Official Report, column 78W, on armed forces casualty reporting, when the casualty information for Afghanistan prior to 2006 will be reconciled.

Derek Twigg: We intend to provide further information on casualties in Afghanistan prior to 2006 on the MOD website in March of this year. Our initial priority is to publish information for seriously injured (SI) and very seriously injured (VSI) casualties, and we intend to release further information in due course. I will write to the hon. Member when this exercise has been completed and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Children

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to base the contribution from parents of children receiving boarding school allowances on salaries rather than being 10 per cent. of earnings.

Derek Twigg: Currently, we have no plans to base the parental contribution for continuity of education allowance on the salaries of service personnel. I should also point out the contribution is not based on a service person's earnings.
	We recognise that service parents may find it difficult to maintain the continuity of their children's education, due to the nature of their employment and the unique demands of military life. It is for this reason that there are various educational allowances available to eligible service personnel to help meet some of the costs of ensuring continuity of their children's education. Continuity of education for their children would not otherwise be possible in the state maintained day school sector if these children accompanied their parents to postings in both the UK and overseas. However, the Ministry of Defence does not reimburse the full cost of school fees and parents are required to pay a minimum 10 per cent. parental contribution for each child when they claim a service education allowance. Also, when assessing each claim, any grant or scholarship made by the school, official benefactors, local education authorities or other public bodies, and any discounts offered to the service parent by the school, is deducted from the fees before the 10 per cent. minimum parental contribution is calculated. It is a matter for the service parent to decide which state or private sector boarding school they wish their children to attend. In doing so, service parents will consider the full cost of their child's education, a significant part of which will be schools fees, for which all parents must pay a minimum 10 per cent.

Armed Forces: Children

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what percentage of occasions the time taken for the transfer of student records between UK schools and service children's education schools exceeded 15 days in each year in the last three years.

Derek Twigg: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However in response to the HCDC report on the Education of Service Children, the Government recently acknowledged the Committee's concerns that service children are being disadvantaged when they move school because some schools fail to transfer the pupils' records on time. The Government will continue to do all that they can to explain and publicise the 15-day transfer rule to all schools to ensure that they meet this target and will continue to use Teachernet, Schoolsweb and Spectrum to do this.

Armed Forces: Children

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the percentage of pupils achieving at least five GCSE grades A* to C was in each service children's education secondary school in each of the last five years.

Derek Twigg: The percentage of pupils achieving at least five GCSE grades A* to C in each service children's education secondary school in each of the last five years was:
	
		
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 St. John's School, Cyprus 54 57 62 74 59 
			 King Richard School, Cyprus 54 58 69 70 60 
			 Gloucester School, Germany 15 51 41 38 50 
			 King's School, Germany 48 57 59 51 50 
			 Prince Rupert School, Germany 71 60 60 64 53 
			 Windsor School, Germany 75 75 75 73 65

Armed Forces: Children

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the mobility index is of each service children's education  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school.

Derek Twigg: The mobility index for each Service Children's Education primary school, for the academic year 2005-06 was as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 AFNORTH International School 99 
			 Akrotiri School 79 
			 Andrew Humphrey School 89 
			 Ayios Nikolaos School 93 
			 BFS Naples 97 
			 Bielefeld School 68 
			 Bishopspark School 70 
			 Blakenhagen School 90 
			 Bruggen School 75 
			 Derby School 98 
			 Dhekelia School 131 
			 Episkopi School 107 
			 Haig School 71 
			 Heide School 59 
			 Hornbull School 121 
			 John Buchan School 54 
			 Lister School 83 
			 Marlborough School 85 
			 Montgomery School 55 
			 Mountbatten School 45 
			 Oxford School 62 
			 Robert Browning School 67 
			 SHAPE International School 50 
			 Shackleton School 58 
			 Sir John Mogg School 66 
			 Slim School 29 
			 St. Andrew's School 56 
			 St. Christopher's School 76 
			 St. David's School 90 
			 St. George's School 61 
			 St. Patrick's School 80 
			 Toucan School 120 
			 Tower School 60 
			 Wellington School 110 
			 Weser School 74 
			 William Wordsworth School 73 
		
	
	Mobility index statistics for SCE secondary schools are not held centrally. I will write separately to the hon. Member once this information is available and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) location and  (b) total number of personnel was for each current operational deployment since 1997.

Adam Ingram: The following table shows the number of service personnel deployed on operations by operation at 4 January 2006 and 1 January 2007.
	Due to the manual nature of the data collection, comparable reliable figures are not available prior to December 2005 when a review of the data collation process was undertaken.
	Data on the precise locations of personnel on current operational deployments could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Number of personnel deployed 
			  Operation  January 2006  January 2007 
			 Total 9,980 13,660 
			  Of which:   
			 Telic 8,030 7,020 
			 Herrick 840 5,700 
			 Oculus 780 630 
			 UN 320 290

Armed Forces: Divorce

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the divorce rate was for personnel serving in the  (a) Army,  (b) Navy and  (c) RAF for each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: The following table shows annual divorce rates for Army and RAF personnel for each year since 1997. Naval Service data is not available as the Naval Service groups "separated", "divorced" and "widowed" together.
	Figures are for UK Regular Forces, and therefore exclude Gurkhas, Full-Time Reserve Service personnel, the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised reservists. Figures are for trained and untrained personnel excluding Officer Designates.
	Rates are calculated as a percentage of the average married strength during the calendar years.
	The term "divorce" includes "decree absolute" and "marriage annulled". It excludes "decree nisi" and individuals who are separated.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Army( 1)  RAF 
			   Officers  Other ranks  Officers  Other ranks 
			 1997 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 1998 (2)— (2)— 1.0 1.8 
			 1999 0.9 2.3 0.9 1.8 
			 2000 1.1 2.5 1.4 1.9 
			 2001 0.9 2.5 1.5 1.9 
			 2002 1.4 2.9 1.3 2.0 
			 2003 1.1 2.7 1.1 1.8 
			 2004 1.0 2.7 1.2 2.0 
			 2005 1.1 2.4 1.5 1.8 
			 2006(3) 1.1 2.1 (2)— (2)— 
			 (1) For the years 1999, 2000 and 2001, annulments are excluded from the calculations for divorce rates, as the information was not available; however the remaining years do include annulments in their calculation.  (2 )Not available. (3) Figures for 2006 are for the most recently available 12 months which cover the period up to 1 December 2006.   Source:  DASA (Tri-Service)

Armed Forces: Elections

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to help servicemen on operations overseas to comply with the Electoral Administration Act 2006 by providing a signature and date of birth within 21 days of it being requested; what recent assessment he has made of levels of voting eligibility in the armed services; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 8 February 2007
	We are ensuring that Service personnel, whether serving in the UK or on operations overseas, are made aware within their units of the requirement to provide personal identifiers, if they wish to retain their option to vote as an absent voter. If they have not received a request to provide identifiers by 21 February 2007, we have instructed them to contact their local electoral authority. In addition, personnel serving abroad can return identifiers through official mail channels at no personal cost.
	We conducted a survey in December 2005 to determine the levels of voting eligibility in the armed forces, the results of which were published in the Library of the House. This survey was repeated in December 2006 and we expect to receive the results within the next two months.

Armed Forces: Housing

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many units of single living accommodation in  (a) Scotland,  (b) northern and central England,  (c) south east England,  (d) south west England and  (e) Greater London have been classified at (i) Standard 1, (ii) Standard 2, (iii) Standard 3 and (iv) Standard 4.

Derek Twigg: The required information is not held in the format requested and it will take a little more time to establish whether an answer can be provided without incurring disproportionate cost. I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Housing

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of  (a) single living accommodation and  (b) service families accommodation is occupied by (i) Army, (ii) Navy and (iii) RAF personnel.

Derek Twigg: The following table contains the worldwide position (correct as at 1 April 2006).
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Single living accommodation  Service families accommodation 
			 Royal Navy 15 10 
			 Army 50 55 
			 RAF 25 30 
			 Other 10 5

Armed Forces: Housing

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of  (a) Army,  (b) Navy and  (c) RAF personnel live in Ministry of Defence accommodation.

Derek Twigg: As at 1 April 2006, the following percentage of personnel in each service paying charges for Defence accommodation were:
	
		
			  Service  Number paying accommodation charges  Total strength of service  Percentage 
			 Royal Navy 14,627 39,390 37 
			 Army 78,902 107,703 73 
			 RAF 27,908 48,730 57 
		
	
	These figures exclude personnel who are entitled to occupy MOD accommodation but are not subject to accommodation charges.

Armed Forces: Housing

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel received the long service advance of pay for house purchase in each of the last five years; and what the budget for long service advance of pay is in 2006-07.

Derek Twigg: The number of service personnel who have received a long service advance of pay (LSAP) for house purchase in the last five years are set out as follows.
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of service personnel 
			 2001-02 2,670 
			 2002-03 2,645 
			 2003-04 2,072 
			 2004-05 1,906 
			 2005-06 2,096 
		
	
	As at 31 December 2006, 2,523 personnel had received LSAP during financial year 2006-07. The forecast LSAP expenditure for financial year 2006-07 is £26.36 million.

Armed Forces: Housing

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many void  (a) single living and  (b) service family units there are; and what proportion of the total stock they form.

Derek Twigg: The information requested is not held centrally and will take a little time to collate. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Logistics

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce the locations of the garrisons for the logistics brigades returning to the UK from Germany.

Adam Ingram: A study team is currently assessing a number of site options for the potential return of 102 Logistic Brigade from Gütersloh Garrison to the UK. A decision is not expected before summer 2007.

Armed Forces: Pollution Control

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration is given by  (a) his Department and  (b) the armed forces to their carbon footprint.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the armed forces have taken steps to understand how our activities on the Defence estate contribute to our carbon footprint. Action is taking place to reduce our carbon emissions. This includes entering into a partnership agreement with the Carbon Trust, including at RAF Kinloss for example, to identify opportunities for reducing energy use; participation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme; and buying renewable energy.
	Like all central Government Departments, we are focusing on delivery of the targets on sustainable operations on the Government Estate (SOGE), including reducing carbon emissions; energy efficiency; and carbon neutrality on the Central Government Office Estate.
	The MOD also participates in the Government carbon offsetting fund by ensuring that flights by Ministers and Head Office civilian and service personnel, in non-operational posts, are carbon offset.
	From January 2006 the Department also began to collate data on carbon dioxide emissions from all fuel purchased by MOD and the armed forces and, where practicable, other greenhouse gas emissions.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to increase recruitment into the armed forces from minority ethnic communities.

Derek Twigg: In addition to an extensive programme of general recruiting activity, all three Services have specialist ethnic minority recruiting and outreach teams which undertake many and varied initiatives aimed at encouraging more young people from our minority communities into joining the armed forces. For example:
	The Royal Navy's Diversity Recruiting and Awareness Team give presentations in schools and colleges, to community and faith leaders; organising and operating five-day Personal Development Courses; attending careers events; and attending cultural and religious festivals and events.
	The Army's Diversity Action Recruiting Team (DART) provides role models to young people from ethnic minorities at recruiting events throughout the country. Within DART there are Community Liaison Officers who engage and develop relationships with key figures within the ethnic minority communities in their respective regions. DART attends some 650-700 events each year.
	On 20 January, the RN's Diversity Action Team invited a group of young people from the Small Heath (predominantly Muslim) area of Birmingham to take part in an RN Introduction Day. The Team has been working with a sub branch of the UK Islamic Mission called the Urban Development Foundation-part of a five month EM recruiting drive focusing on the Small Heath and Handsworth area of the city.
	The Army's participation in Bid celebrations in Bradford and Nottingham and a visit to an East London Muslim community and Mosque.
	The RAF's work with the Pakistani community in Leeds.
	The armed forces have for the past three years sponsored an award at the annual Muslim News Awards and will again sponsor this year's awards.
	The RAF's Motivational Outreach Team is responsible for promoting the Service in major communities. Their work is augmented by Careers Liaison Officers, Community Careers Liaison Officers and a network of Youth Activity Liaison Officers across the UK. They participate in schools' careers conventions, festivals and melas and sporting events, visit youth organisations, and Air Training Corps Squadrons and Combined Cadet Force contingents, and arrange visits for EMs to RAF stations.

Armed Forces: Training

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the key reasons were for his Department's decision to choose the Metrix consortium's bid for  (a) package 1 and  (b) package 2 for the Defence Training Review Rationalisation Programme; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what his Department's criteria were that determined the winning bidders for  (a) package 1 and  (b) package 2 of the Defence Training Review Rationalisation Programme; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Following a detailed evaluation process for each of the DTR Packages, Metrix were chosen because their separate package 1 and 2 proposals were judged to offer the best technical and prospective value for money solutions to the Defence Training Review requirement for each of those packages. Their solution examined against 65 individual Requirements of Response, represented the most economically advantageous outcome, providing the best combination of technical score relating to the quality, deliverability and timeliness of their proposals, their suitability as a partner and price.

Armed Forces: Training

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals his Department is considering for the maintenance of a defence function for the training sites at Cosford and Blandford; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The MOD estate is under continuous review to ensure that it is the right size and quality to support the delivery of Defence capability. Looking to the future both Cosford and Blandford are well placed as highly flexible Defence sites. The Department is looking at options to continue to make the best use of them post the defence training review by moving other units in. This will be subject to studies which will not conclude for some months.

Armed Forces: Training

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by how much the Metrix consortium's current proposals for  (a) package 1 and  (b) package 2 for the Defence Training Review Rationalisation Programme has exceeded the planned budget for the programme.

Derek Twigg: Metrix current proposal for Package 1 does not exceed the planned budget over the life of the project. It delivers significant savings against the planned levels of expenditure. The current proposal for Package 2 has been assessed as not affordable and this package is now being pursued with Metrix as part of a whole programme solution. Until this work is complete it is not possible to judge whether Package 2 can be delivered within the planned budget for the programme.

Armed Forces: Training

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have died as a result of injuries sustained during training in each year from 2003 to 2006.

Derek Twigg: The number of UK regular service personnel who died as a result of injuries sustained during training in each year between 2003 and 2006 is given in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of deaths 
			 2003 6 
			 2004 14 
			 2005 11 
			 2006 (1)3 
			 (1) Data for 2006 are provisional.

Armed Forces: Training

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many training exercises have been cancelled in each year from 2003 to 2006; and what the reasons were for each cancellation.

Adam Ingram: During financial year 2003-04, some 350 training events featured on the Defence Exercise Programme (DXP) of which 151 (43 per cent). were cancelled. During financial year 2004-05, a total of 379 training events were scheduled of which 79 (20 per cent.) were cancelled. While specific reasons for cancellation are not available in many cases, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost, the programme was affected by competing operational priorities. Since that time, improved data capture has enabled a more detailed review of the DXP.
	During financial year 2005-06, a total of 533 training events were scheduled on the DXP of which 58 (10.8 per cent.) were cancelled. In detail, 30 exercises were cancelled due to operational commitments, 13 were removed as savings measures and 10 were cancelled by other nations. The remaining five events were cancelled in response to changing priorities or rescheduling.
	In financial year 2006-07, a total of 680 training events are scheduled in the DXP of which 60 (8.8 per cent.) have been, or will be, cancelled. In detail, 29 exercises have been cancelled due to operational commitments, five have been removed as savings measures and 15 were cancelled by other nations. The remaining 11 events have been cancelled in response to changing priorities or rescheduling.
	Details of the military exercises cancelled since 1 April 2005 are as follows.
	
		
			  Exercises cancelled in financial year 2005-06 
			  Exercise name  Location  Type  Reason for cancellation 
			 Catt 05 UK Land Operational priorities 
			 Bass Rock Canada Land Cancelled by lead nation 
			 Pathfinder Czech Republic Land Cancelled by mutual consent: operational commitments 
			 Lone Kestrel 05 Poland Air Cancelled by lead nation 
			 Gruflex 05 Spain Air Cancelled by lead nation 
			 Fwit 05 Norway Air Cancelled by lead nation 
			 Air Warrior 05-10 px USA Air Cancelled by lead nation 
			 Smart Search 05 USA Air Cancelled by lead nation 
			 Lucky Sentinel 05 Canada Air Cancelled by lead nation 
			 Lone Osprey 05 Ukraine Air Cancelled due insufficient time to resolve Ukrainian requirements 
			 JTP 05-5 UK Air Operational commitments 
			 Cross Check 05 Canada Air Operational commitments 
			 Baltops 05 Baltic Air Operational commitments 
			 Trident Door 05 Mediterranean Air Operational commitments 
			 Wycombe Warrior 05-07 day 1 UK Air Operational commitments 
			 Wycombe Warrior 05-07 day 2 UK Air Operational commitments 
			 Cygnet Gold France Land Cancelled due to MOU issues 
			 Nomad 05 UK Air Cancelled due to withdrawal of three nations 
			 Snow Leopard 06 Norway Air Operational priorities 
			 Air Cadre 06-1 Cyprus Joint Revised priorities. 
			 Flycatcher 05-2 UK Joint Revised priorities. 
			 Red Corvette 06 UK Joint Revised priorities. 
			 Fidae 06 Chile Air Operational commitments; 
			 1 Div CT5 ex Poland Land Operational commitments 
			 3 Div CT5 ex UK Land Operational commitments 
			 Czech Pineapple Czech Republic Land Operational commitments 
			 Eagles Resolve UK Land Operational commitments 
			 Fingals Cave Canada Land Operational commitments 
			 Iron Anvil 05 Canada Air Operational commitments 
			 Joint Falcon 06 UK Air Operational commitments 
			 Kimmons Post Cyprus Land Operational commitments 
			 Kleiber France Land Operational commitments 
			 Medoc UK Land Operational commitments 
			 Quicksand 05 Africa Joint Operational commitments 
			 Snow Chute 06 Norway Air Operational commitments 
			 Swordfish 05 Mediterranean Air Operational commitments 
			 Templar Forge 05-1 Cyprus Air Operational commitments 
			 Templar Forge 05-2 Cyprus Air Operational commitments 
			 Templar Forge 05-3 Cyprus Air Operational commitments 
			 Aswex 05 UK Air Operational commitments 
			 Eagles Resolve—air UK Air Operational commitments 
			 Lemon Peel 05-2 UK Joint Operational commitments 
			 Target Flame 05-3 Cyprus Air Operational priorities (OPEVAL) 
			 Initial Link 05 Bahrain Air Rescheduled 
			 Eagles Flight 06 UK Air Rescheduled as Eagles Eye 06 
			 Danex Denmark/North Sea Maritime Savings measure 
			 Druids Dance UK Land Savings measure 
			 Flotex Silver Norway Maritime Savings measure 
			 Lone Cheetah 05 France Air Savings measure 
			 Lone Civet 05 Europe General Air Savings measure 
			 Lone Eagle 05 Spain Air Savings measure 
			 Lone Egret 05 Slovakia Air Savings measure 
			 Lone Feat 05 Europe General Air Savings measure 
			 Lone Flap 05 Norway Air Savings measure 
			 Lone Kite 05 Europe General Air Savings measure 
			 Lone Knot 05 Europe General Air Savings measure 
			 Medicine Man BATUS Canada Land Savings measure 
			 Snow Goose 05-2 Norway Air Savings measure 
			 Anatolian Eagle 06 Europe Air Cancelled by host nation 
			 Dapex 06 Europe Air Cancelled by host nation 
			 Fingals Cave 06/07 Canada Land Cancelled by host nation 
			 Noble Avenger 06 Europe Air Cancelled by host nation 
			 Airlift Rodeo 06 North America Air Cancelled by lead nation 
			 Dragons Nest 06 Europe Air Cancelled by lead nation 
			 Lone Flap 06 Europe Air Cancelled by lead nation 
			 Triplex Flame 06.1 Europe Air Cancelled by lead nation 
			 Tunuk Warrior 06/07 Turkey Land Cancelled by lead nation 
			 Wycombe Warrior 09-06 days 1 and 2 United Kingdom Air Cancelled by NATO 
			 Cossack Steppe 06/07 Ukraine Land Cancelled due to insufficient time to resolve Ukrainian requirements. 
			 Express Three 06/07 (Russian Express 06) Russia Land Cancelled due to coordination issues with host nation 
			 Rainbow Serpent 06/07 Australia Land Ex reduced in scope due to Australian operational commitments 
			 1 ACC WTI 06 North America Air Operational commitments 
			 AATTC 06-1 North America Air Operational commitments 
			 Albert's Rapport 06-1 North America Air Operational commitments 
			 Albert's Rapport 06-2 North America Air Operational commitments 
			 Algonquin Rock 06-1 North America Air Operational commitments 
			 Assegai Eyes 06 United Kingdom Joint Operational commitments 
			 Barbary Air 06-2 Europe Air Operational commitments 
			 Blue Cypriot Cyprus Land Operational commitments 
			 Cockfight 2/06 UK Joint Operational commitments 
			 Combined Strength 06-1 Europe Air Operational commitments 
			 Czech Pineapple 06 Czech Rep Land Operational commitments 
			 Eagles Eye 06/07 UK Land Operational commitments 
			 Etam06 Europe Air Operational commitments 
			 Flying Rapport 06 North America Air Operational commitments 
			 Fwit 06 Europe Air Operational commitments 
			 Gaulish 1 - 06/07 France/UK Land Operational commitments 
			 Gaulish 2/06 Not Specified Land Operational commitments 
			 Gaulish 5—06/07 France/UK Land Operational commitments 
			 Global Gold 07/08 Kenya Land Operational commitments 
			 JRTC 06-1 North America Air Operational commitments 
			 JTP 2 - 06/07 UK Land Operational commitments 
			 Lone Foil Europe Air Operational commitments 
			 LRIF06-1 North America Air Operational commitments 
			 Maple Flag 39-3 North America Air Operational commitments 
			 Night Hawk 2/06 Denmark Joint Operational commitments 
			 Paper Chase 06/07 Germany Land Operational commitments 
			 Path Finder 06/07 Czech Rep Land Operational commitments 
			 Prairie Brave 06/07 Canada Land Operational commitments 
			 Readiness Challenge 06/07 USA Land Cancelled by Lead Nation 
			 Solenzara Air Ex 06 Europe Air Operational commitments 
			 Lone Knot 06 Europe Air Postponed by lead nation 
			 Aphrodite 06/07 Cyprus Land Revised priorities 
			 Cyprus Forum 06 Cyprus Joint Revised priorities 
			 Frozen Star 07 Norway Air Revised priorities 
			 Heavy Ferry 06/07 Germany Land Revised priorities 
			 Javelin 06/07 Nepal Land Revised priorities 
			 Log provider 06 United Kingdom Joint Revised priorities 
			 Lone Fin 07 Europe Air Revised priorities 
			 Snow Falcon 07-1 Europe Air Revised priorities 
			 Spontex 06-1 Europe Air Revised priorities 
			 Target Flame 06-3 Europe Air Revised priorities 
			 Wet Gap 06/07 Germany Land Revised priorities 
			 Grand Prix 1—06/07 Kenya Land Savings measure 
			 Grand Prix 3—06/07 Kenya Land Savings measure 
			 Jagged Flame 06-1 Europe Air Savings measure 
			 Lion Star 1—07/08 Cyprus Land Savings measure 
			 Rock Challenge USA Joint Savings measure

Armed Forces: Training

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many training exercises that were originally scheduled for 2007 have been cancelled.

Adam Ingram: Of the 547 training exercises recorded in the Defence Exercise Programme for financial year 2007-08, 40 (7.5 per cent.) have been cancelled.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Procurement

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the planning assumption date is for the future rapid effect system.

Adam Ingram: The in service date for the future rapid effect system (FRES) will not be taken until the main investment decision is taken.

Armoured Vehicles

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Cougar/Mastiff armoured vehicles were fully operational in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan on 1 January 2007; and what his estimated timetable is for delivery of the remaining vehicles.

Adam Ingram: The first Mastiff vehicles were delivered to Iraq by 1 January 2007. For reasons of operational security I am not prepared to go into the detail of the delivery timetable and numbers of a new capability into an operational theatre, but on current plans the delivery of the remaining vehicles should be complete by summer 2007.

Army: Scotland

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total personnel  (a) inflow into and  (b) outflow from the Scottish infantry has been in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: The number of soldiers inflowing and outflowing from the Scottish Division of the Infantry during April 1997 to November 2006 is shown in the following table. Officer figures have been omitted because Officer Cadets are allocated an Arm/Service towards the end of their Commissioning Course at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS).
	
		
			  Intake from civilian life and outflow from UK regular forces for the Scottish Division of the Infantry 
			   Soldier 
			  Financial year  Intake  Outflow 
			 1997-98 750 580 
			 1998-99 750 740 
			 1999-2000 720 750 
			 2000-01 630 590 
			 2001-02 650 600 
			 2002-03 640 600 
			 2003-04 650 630 
			 2004-05 470 600 
			 2005-06 440 570 
			 2006-07(1) 270 380 
			 (1 )1 April to 30 November 2006.  Notes:  1. The information is for soldiers only and therefore excludes officers.  2. The information is for intake and outflow of Scottish Division personnel in and out of the army and therefore excludes transfers in and out of the Division.  3. The outflow figures incorporate the net balance of long-term illegally absent personnel.  4. The intake figures are based on the individuals' Division on intake, some of whom may be redesignated during training to another Arm/Service.  5. The intake figures include re-enlistments and rejoined reservists.  6. UK Regular Forces includes nursing services and excludes full-time Reserve Service personnel, Gurkhas, the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised reservists. It also includes trained and untrained personnel..  7. The date periods are for financial years except for financial year 2006-07.  8. The data have been rounded to the nearest 10. Numbers ending in '5' have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to avoid systematic bias.

Astute Class Submarines

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress his Department has made in agreeing a price for the future Astute class submarines; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: Negotiations on prices for Astute class submarines hulls 2 and 3 are concluding and will be subject to formal approval by the MOD and BAE Systems.

Christmas Travel

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2007,  Official Report, column 323W, on Christmas travel, 
	(1)  if he will provide a breakdown of the 75 per cent. of flights between the UK and Afghanistan that were on time or delayed by less than three hours into those that were  (a) on time and  (b) delayed less than three hours;
	(2)  if he will provide a break down of the flights between Afghanistan and the UK that were on time or delayed by less than three hours into those that were  (a) on time and  (b) delayed less than three hours.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 5 February 2007
	All performance statistics relating to the Afghanistan air-bridge are collated and monitored in terms of 'arrival', rather than 'departure', times as this best reflects the service being provided to passengers. Any RAF transport flight that is rescheduled at any stage within 24 hours of its planned departure time is considered as a delay, but only if that delay is greater than one hour.
	Of the 75 per cent. of flights from the UK to Afghanistan that were on time or delayed by less than three hours, 69 per cent. were on time and 31 per cent. were delayed less than three hours.
	For the return leg, of the 66 per cent. of flights from Afghanistan to the UK that were on time or delayed by less than three hours, 76 per cent. were on time and 24 per cent. were delayed less than three hours.
	A flight is deemed to be on time if it is delayed by less than one hour.

Defence Activities: Scotland

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the levels of commercial investment in Scotland resulting from his Department's activities.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has made no estimate of the levels of commercial investment in Scotland resulting from its expenditure.

Defence Activities: Scotland

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of jobs in Scotland that are reliant on the supply chain created by his Department's activities.

Adam Ingram: The latest available estimates for those jobs in industry and commerce in Scotland that are either directly or indirectly reliant on the supply chain created by the MOD are given in the following table. The estimates refer to jobs throughout industry and commerce resulting from MOD equipment and non-equipment expenditure. These are the best estimates available but they are based on a set of assumptions. Some of these assumptions could underestimate the number of jobs, such as excluding employment in subcontractors whose sub contracts originate from MOD contracts elsewhere in the UK.
	
		
			   Equipment  Non Equipment  Total 
			 Direct Employment 6,000 3,000 9,000 
			 Indirect Employment 1,500 1,000 2,500 
			 Total in Supply Chain 7,500 4,000 11,500 
			  Note: Figures rounded to nearest 500 jobs 
		
	
	Aggregate estimates for the UK detailing direct and indirect employment which separate those involved with employment on MOD equipment, MOD non-equipment, and defence exports are also produced by the Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA) in Table 1.9, UK Defence Statistics 2006 which is available in the Library of the House.

Defence Scientific Advisory Council

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who the members are of the Defence Scientific Advisory Council.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 23 November 2006
	The Defence Scientific Advisory Council (DSAC) provides the Ministry of Defence's main source of independent advice on non-nuclear science and technology issues. It is a non departmental public body set up by the Secretary of State for Defence. DSAC and MOD do not release the identities of the membership except for the Chairperson, Professor Julia King. The rest of the Council comprises senior academics and industrialists who are independent of the MOD. All are recruited through open competition and appointed by Ministers. I am unable to release the names of them in accordance with the Data Protection Act.

Defence: Expenditure

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will revise the Defence Planning Assumptions prior to the Comprehensive Spending Review; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Our assessment of the likely strategic context our armed forces will be operating in; the tasks they will be required to undertake and the capabilities they will need informs the CSR process. This assessment is also the basis on which we formulate the Defence Planning Assumptions. The Planning Assumptions themselves are routinely reviewed as part of the Department's strategic planning cycle. This work is under way and will be completed in spring 2008.

Defence: Expenditure

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work his Department is undertaking in preparation for the comprehensive spending review; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: As with all Departments, the Ministry of Defence is engaged in the process of analysing its requirements and preparing material for the comprehensive spending review 2007. The Department also meets regularly with HM Treasury at both official and ministerial level to discuss progress towards comprehensive spending review 2007.

Defence: Procurement

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which procurement projects have been cancelled since 1997; and what total losses were incurred following each cancellation.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence Appropriation Accounts (1997-98, 1998-99), the Ministry of Defence Consolidated Departmental Resource Accounts (1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02) and Annual Report and Accounts from 2002-03 onwards—copies of which are available in the Library of the House—detail losses arising from the cancellation of procurement projects.

Departmental Furniture

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of one Herman Miller Aeron chair for his Department's civilian headquarters.

Derek Twigg: The purchase of office furniture was part of a major redevelopment of the Ministry of Defence's main building in Whitehall, which fulfils both a Department of State and military headquarters function and accommodates around 3,300 military and civilian personnel. The Herman Miller Aeron chairs were purchased in bulk at a very substantial discount. I am withholding the details as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice commercial interests.

Departmental Logos

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the costs of  (a) stationery and  (b) other promotional merchandise branded with his Department's name was in each of the last three years.

Derek Twigg: The information requested is not held centrally in the format requested and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost. Our headquarters Communications policy area (the Directorate General Media and Communication), however, has spent the following on promotional material (which includes branded stationery) in the last three years:
	
		
			  Financial year  Amount (£) 
			 2005-06 97,779 
			 2004-05 82,603 
			 2003-04 58,842 
		
	
	This encompasses material promoting both the Department's name and that of each of our Services.

Departmental Publications

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the in-house staff magazine of his Department from the last 24 months.

Derek Twigg: I have placed copies of FOCUS, the Department's principal in-house staff magazine, in the Library of the House today.

EU Rapid Reaction Force

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role he expects the UK to play in the planned European Rapid Reaction Force; and what  (a) military and  (b) financial contribution he expects the UK to make.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 25 October 2006,  Official Report, column 1876W, to the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr. Hayes).

European Fighter Aircraft: Saudi Arabia

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has signed a contract with BAE Systems to produce the 72 Eurofighters for Saudi Arabia; whether it includes replacing the 24 originally due to be supplied to the Royal Air Force; and what the delivery schedule is.

Adam Ingram: Negotiations on the supply of Euro fighter-Typhoon to Saudi Arabia remain ongoing. Any requirement to replace diverted aircraft as a result of a final contract will be negotiated in parallel.

Falkland Islands

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what deployments of troops are in place for the defence of the Falkland Islands; and what deployments are planned.

Adam Ingram: There are approximately 1,450 armed forces personnel serving in the Falkland Islands; this number is subject to variation throughout the year as a result of individual posting plots and unit movements. The United Kingdom remains committed to the security of the Falkland Islands; we maintain permanent forces there to deter aggression and defend the right of the Falkland Islanders to self-determination. The force levels required to do this are kept under continuous review.

Future Large Aircraft

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the first A400M transport aircraft will be operational within the RAF.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 8 February 2007
	The A400M is planned to deliver operational capability to the RAF from 2011.

Helicopters

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effectiveness of (i) Bell Griffin HAR2 and (ii) Apache helicopters in recovering individual personnel from a battlefield.

Adam Ingram: Since battlefield recovery scenarios vary considerably, local commanders instigate recovery operations within the framework of established doctrine using those assets available to them and judged best suited to the circumstances. We have not undertaken research on the effectiveness of using either of these helicopters in recovering personnel from a battlefield, though we have benefited from US experience in using the Apache for personnel recovery. We do not operate the Bell Griffin in the operational environment.

Hercules Aircraft

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Hercules aircraft have been fitted with foam protection to their fuel tanks; what the timetable is for the fitting of explosive suppressant foam to the rest of the fleet; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The programme to fit explosive suppressant foam (ESF) to the majority of the RAF Hercules fleet is ongoing. On current plans it is expected that this work will be completed around the end of the year.
	Following earlier enquiries the Department has given information on the number of Hercules aircraft fitted with ESF. I do not intend, however, to give continuous updates on progress with this programme as to do so would ultimately reveal the total number equipped with this capability, and this information would, or would be likely to, prejudice the security of the UK armed forces.

Hercules Aircraft

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what purpose a UK foam protected Hercules aircraft is stationed in the United States; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: A Hercules aircraft is temporarily deployed to the USA for essential crew training to ensure operational effectiveness of the aircrews. I am withholding further details as their release would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces.

Housing

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to improve  (a) military housing and  (b) married quarters.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence is planning to spend over £5 billion on service accommodation in the next decade.
	This will deliver 20,000 single living accommodation bedspaces—in addition to the 20,000 bedspaces already delivered since 2001—and will maintain and improve families accommodation.

Information Infrastructure Contract

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many desktop computers have been installed under Increment 1 of the Defence Information Infrastructure contract; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many desktop computers should have been rolled out to date according to the roll-out timetable for Increment 1 of the Defence Information Infrastructure contract.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 19 January 2007
	A total of 2,244 new DII(F) desktops had been delivered by 18 January and are operational across 166 of the 680 sites planned for Increment 1.
	4,647 DII(F) desktops should have been rolled out by the end of December 2006.
	The rate of delivery of DII(F) desktops is determined by a formal rollout schedule and this schedule relies on sites being prepared and ready to receive them. Delays in these areas, and in the provision of some software releases, have had an adverse effect on the speed with which ATLAS are able to roll out DII(F) to sites.

Marine Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made with negotiations with Serco on the contract for the future provision of marine services; and when he expects the contract to be finalised.

Adam Ingram: Negotiations with Serco Denholm Ltd. are at an advanced stage and the current expectation is that a contract will be awarded in summer 2007.

Marine Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when bids for the Future Provision of Marine Services were first invited; and how many bids were received.

Adam Ingram: Following an industry day in May 2003 and a subsequent pre-qualification questionnaire exercise, four bidders were short-listed, although two subsequently withdrew. In November 2003, the two remaining bidders, Serco Denholm Limited and the Starfish Consortium (the latter comprising Babcock Naval Services (Clyde), Devonport Management Ltd. (Plymouth), Fleet Support Ltd. (Portsmouth) and Smit International (Scotland) Ltd.), were each invited to submit proposals.

Marine Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on the award of the Future Provision of Marine Services contract.

Adam Ingram: Since 2003 when industry bids were first sought, we received a number of representations on the Future Provision of Marine Services (FPMS). These have included correspondence from hon. and right hon. Members, representations from the Transport and General Workers Union and Prospect Union and the unsuccessful bidder.

Marines

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what steps  (a) have been taken and  (b) are planned to prepare 1 Rifles for its attachment to the 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines;
	(2)  what operational roles 1 Rifles will play within 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines;
	(3)  whether personnel in 1 Rifles will be required to complete the  (a) pre- and  (b) full all arms commando course prior to their attachment to 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines;
	(4)  in what way the attachment of 1 Rifles to the 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines (3 CBRM) will increase the  (a) (i) organisational and structural depth and (ii) capability of 3 CBRM,  (b) delivery of military capability and  (c) depth of relationship between the Royal Navy and the Army.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 6 February 2007
	Detailed planning by Army and Navy staffs and the MOD for the attachment of a fourth manoeuvre unit to 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines has been on-going since May 2005. Following my announcement to the House on 29 January 2007,  Official Report, column 4WS, a joint Army and Navy working group is taking forward the planning and implementation of the attachment of 1 Rifles to 3 Commando Brigade from 1 April 2008.
	1 Rifles will not undertake the Lead Commando Group role but will carry out the role of secondary assault wave manoeuvre unit in the same manner as other Commando Units.
	There is no requirement for 1 Rifles personnel to attend a pre-course or to undertake the full all arms commando course in order to carry out their role as the fourth manoeuvre unit for 3 Commando Brigade. Individuals may in the course of their individual career development, apply for and attend the all arms commando course.
	The attachment of 1 Rifles to 3 Commando Brigade will enable the Brigade to be both on standby for contingent operations while simultaneously providing units to the Current Operational Commitments Plot. This will increase the overall delivery of military capability in line with Defence Strategic Guidance. The integration of an Infantry Battalion into a strong coalition amphibious structure that includes the US Marine Corps and the Royal Netherland Marine Corps units will have wider Defence benefits. In addition, the co-operation and co-ordination of effort between the Army and Navy will bring benefits in terms of resource and information sharing in the training and education of soldiers and single service tactics, techniques and procedures. Army understanding of operations in the littoral environment will also be broadened.

Marines: Manpower

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel were serving in the Royal Marines on 1 April in each year from 1997 to 2006.

Derek Twigg: The following table provides the strength figures for Royal Marines at 1 April each year from 1997 to 2006.
	
		
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Total 6,700 6,840 6,750 6,750 6,970 7,010 7,260 7,240 7,350 7,430 
			
			 Officers 700 690 690 670 670 710 730 740 750 770 
			 Trained 590 600 570 600 580 590 610 650 660 680 
			 Untrained 110 90 120 70 80 120 120 80 90 90 
			
			 Other ranks 6,000 6,150 6,060 6,080 6,300 6,300 6,530 6,510 6,600 6,660 
			 Trained 5,470 5,410 5,300 5,380 5,530 5,540 5,720 5,850 5,750 5,790 
			 Untrained 530 740 770 690 770 760 810 650 850 880

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the potential for the use of small light assault helicopters in  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) other combat zones.

Adam Ingram: We continually review our helicopter requirements to ensure that we have sufficient helicopter support to meet current and anticipated tasks. While we do not use the term "small light assault helicopters", our helicopters in Afghanistan and other combat zones include those suited to heavy-lift tasks, such as Chinook and Merlin; utility helicopters, such as Lynx, Puma and Sea King; and attack helicopters, such as Apache. No capability gap has been identified for small light assault helicopters.

Military Bases

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many full-time equivalent employees are employed by AWE Management Ltd. at  (a) AWE Aldermaston and  (b) AWE Burghfield.

Adam Ingram: The Atomic Weapons Establishment is managed under Government-owned/contractor-operated arrangements. While our contract is with AWE Management Ltd., a separate company, AWE plc., employs the work force. AWE plc. had 3,990 staff employed at AWE Aldermaston and 331 employed at AWE Burghfield at the end of January 2007.

Military Bases

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has  (a) to purchase and  (b) to lease helicopters from the US military for operations in (i) Afghanistan and (ii) Iraq.

Des Browne: Currently, there are no plans to purchase or lease helicopters from the US armed forces for operations in Afghanistan or Iraq. The US continue to deploy significant numbers of military helicopters in Iraq and Afghanistan in support of coalition and NATO operations respectively.

Military Exercises: Warcop

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates land owned by Strathmore Estates adjacent to the Warcop Training Area was used for exercises using AS320 heavy weapons since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 7 February 2007
	The information requested is not held centrally and will take a little time to collate. I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Ministerial Meetings

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings  (a) he,  (b) Ministers and  (c) officials from his Department have held with representatives of the defence industry since 1 August; when each meeting took place; what the subjects were of each meeting; and who attended each.

Derek Twigg: Defence Ministers have held the following meetings with defence manufacturers between 1 August 2006 and 8 December 2006.
	 Minister for the Armed Forces
	28 November 2006—Defence Aircraft Repair Agency Management Advisory Board.
	21 November 2006—Army Base Repair Organisation Owners Council Meeting.
	 Minister for Defence Procurement
	16 November 2006—Meeting with representatives from Atkins.
	27 November 2006—Meeting with a representative from QinetiQ to discuss defence technology issues.
	24 November 2006—Meeting with representatives from Agusta Westland to discuss the Defence Industrial Strategy and various helicopter projects.
	23 November 2006—Meeting with representatives from General Dynamics UK to discuss the FRES project.
	22 November 2006—Meeting with a representative from EADS to discuss strategic relationship issues.
	16 November 2006—Meeting with representatives from the VT Group to discuss the Maritime Industrial Strategy.
	9 November 2006—Meeting with a representative from VT Group to discuss Maritime Industrial Strategy issues.
	9 November 2006—Meeting with a representative from BAE Systems to discuss both the Defence and Maritime Industrial Strategies along with various equipment projects and the supply of Typhoon aircraft to Saudi Arabia.
	6 November 2006—Meeting with industry representatives at Future Aircraft Carrier (CVF) Alliance Board.
	2 November 2006—Meeting with industry representatives at the National Defence Industries Council.
	1 November 2006—Meeting with representatives from MBDA to discuss the Complex Weapons sector of the Defence Industrial Strategy.
	25 October 2006—Meeting with representatives from Lockheed Martin to discuss the Joint Strike Fighter project.
	23 October 2006—Ministerial meeting with representatives from EADS to discuss Airbus.
	29 September 2006—Meeting with representatives from Thales to discuss Maritime Industrial issues.
	28 September 2006—Meeting with representatives from Boeing to discuss the Chinook Mk3.
	20 September 2006—Meeting with a representative from VT Group to discuss Maritime Industrial issues.
	19 September 2006—Meeting with representatives from Lockheed Martin to discuss the FRES project.
	 Under-Secretary of State for Defence
	1 November 2006—Meeting with representatives from EDS Defence Ltd.
	Each of the Defence Ministers may also have met with defence manufacturers on other less formal occasions during the period, including while visiting company premises or at party political events.
	Details of every meeting between officials and representatives from defence manufacturers is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However there will have been numerous regular and ad hoc meetings since 1 August 2006.

Navy: Vacancies

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on which occasions a ship at sea recorded the percentage of gapped posts higher than 5 per cent. in the past 12 months.

Adam Ingram: Submarines are 100 per cent. manned when deployed on operations. Surface ships use flexible manning systems and sail with the manning levels appropriate to their tasking. They routinely operate with greater than 5 per cent. gapping as a result of personnel being ashore for training, medical, or compassionate reasons, or assigned to augment other, higher priority tasking elsewhere. Detailed statistics on gapping from front-line units are not collated because only exceptionally, as in the case of HMS Cumberland referred to in my answer of 28 November 2006,  Official Report, column 629W, are gapping levels reported by units.

New Technologies

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures his Department has in place to identify new technologies of defence interest.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence undertakes a number of different approaches to identifying new technologies, primarily through its research programme. This is an important activity that both exploits the opportunities presented by new technologies and counters any threats that they may represent.
	The two principle elements of activity conducted by the MOD are 'Technology Watch', a deep awareness of technical developments in areas of known defence importance, and 'Horizon Scanning' a broad but shallow awareness of technical developments across the scientific and technical disciplines. MOD's strategy towards identifying new technologies was recently published in chapter B12 of the Defence Technology Strategy (DTS).
	In addition to these activities, and as part of the full implementation of the DTS, the MOD is running two initiatives to identify new technologies relevant to defence that exist in the UK's wider science community: the Competition of Ideas www.ideas.mod.uk and the Grand Challenge www.challenge.mod.uk.
	The Competition of Ideas aims to inspire the best innovators from across the UK to bid for a contract to develop their ideas to help meet key defence challenges.
	The Grand Challenge is a major science and technology competition, open to the whole UK science and technology base, which aims to seek new technological approaches to the problem of urban surveillance.

Nuclear Weapons

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps the Government have taken since the 2005 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference to pursue good faith negotiations for nuclear disarmament.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave most recently in evidence to the House of Commons Defence Select Committee on 6 February.

Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on each of the 13 practical steps towards nuclear disarmament agreed at the 2000 non-proliferation treaty review conference.

Des Browne: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 8 January 2007,  Official Report, column 97W, to the hon. Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey).

Open Source Software

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of his Department's computer systems use open source software; what percentage of the systems planned to be installed use such software; and whether he plans to increase the use of open source software in his Department.

Adam Ingram: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The use of open source software across Government Departments is subject to guidance from the Office of Government Commerce (OGC).
	All software is required to be evaluated and accredited before use on the Defence network. This includes an analysis of the security risk to IT systems, and would ensure that all technical countermeasures had been applied. Open source software products are unlikely to have been evaluated to the required extent and therefore the overall cost of evaluation, coupled with any lack of support contracts, may offset any benefit in reduced overall licensing costs to the MOD.
	None of the infrastructure systems currently supported by the Defence Communication Services Agency's Defence Information Infrastructure (DII) IPT, use open source software and there are no plans to replace such systems with open source products. Selection of the software underpinning the future Defence information infrastructure has been left in the hands of the DII Future(F) delivery partner, but currently there is no intention to make use of open source software.
	None of the bidders for the DII(F) contract was proposing an open source solution.

Parliamentary Questions

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will answer question 101404 on the disclosure of information, on the secondment of British personnel, tabled by the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South on 20 November.

Des Browne: I replied to the hon. Member today.

Phalanx C-RAM Anti Mortar System

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has evaluated the Phalanx C-RAM Anti Mortar System for use in the defence of British bases in Iraq and Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Department is continually evaluating the capabilities that contribute to or could contribute to the deterrence of, and protection of bases from, indirect fire in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision is being made for the early identification and treatment of post-traumatic stress in personnel in and returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Derek Twigg: It is our policy that mental health issues should be properly recognised and appropriately handled and that every effort should be made to reduce the stigma associated with them.
	We have put measures in place to increase awareness at all levels and to mitigate against the development of PTSD and other stress-related health issues. These include pre-and post-deployment briefing and the availability of support, assessment and (if required) treatment, both during and after operational deployments. This is available to all personnel, whether regular or mobilised reservist.
	All significant operational deployments have mental health professionals as part of the deployed medical team. The team might comprise psychiatrists and/or mental health nurses. This team will continue the educational process during the operational tour and will also brief the chain of command about operational mental health issues detected. Individuals might be referred to the team for assessment and management and the therapeutic options will include psychological treatments, use of medication or aero-medical evacuation of the individual out of theatre back to further care at their home base.
	Back in the UK, treatment will normally be provided through one of the MOD's 15 Departments of Community Mental Health around the UK (with satellite centres based in Germany, Cyprus and Gibraltar). In the small number of cases when in-patient treatment is required, this will be provided in facilities run by the Priory Group, under the terms of a contract with MOD.
	Finally, the MOD has recently launched a new initiative—the Reserves Mental Health Programme—which is open to reservists who have been demobilised since January 2003 following overseas operational deployment as a reservist and who have concerns that their mental health has suffered primarily as a result of their operational service leading up to their demobilisation. They will be invited to attend the Reserves Training and Mobilisation Centre at Chilwell, Nottinghamshire, where members of the Defence Medical Services will carry out an assessment of their mental health. If it is considered that they are eligible for out-patient treatment by the Defence Medical Services, this will be provided at one of the Departments of Community Mental Health, at the most convenient site to meet the individual's circumstances whenever possible. More details of the programme are available at:
	http://www.army.mod.uk/rtmc/rmhp.htm

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) immediate and  (b) long-term provisions his Department plans to put in place for soldiers returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq with (i) post traumatic stress disorder, (ii) schizophrenia and (iii) psychotic disorder.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence has a broad spectrum of assessment, treatment and care available for Service personnel seeking assistance with any mental health condition. Service personnel have access to mental health professionals in the theatre of operations, in the United Kingdom, and other base areas overseas. In theatre, military Field Mental Health Teams provide assessment, treatment and support to Service personnel deployed on major operations. These teams are manned by qualified Registered Nurses and Community Mental Health Nurses who have access to theatre-based medical staff and support from United Kingdom-based specialists.
	Some personnel will be referred direct from theatre to a military Department of Community Mental Health that is local to his or her home unit. Here the individual will have access to a multidisciplinary team made up of Psychiatrists, Nurses, Psychologists and Social Workers; the individual's specific needs will determine which discipline(s) will best suit the requirement.
	Those requiring inpatient assessment and treatment will, depending on their needs, be admitted to an Independent Service Provider hospital in the United Kingdom (or for some patients based in Germany, to the Military Mental Health Unit, Wegberg). If this is required, the individual is aeromedically evacuated under the care of specially trained clinicians. When treated in an ISP hospital, uniformed Service Liaison Officers act as a representative for the patient and liaise with the hospital and military authorities on relevant matters of the individual's care.
	While the specific conditions mentioned in the question are rare in the military population, they do sometimes occur. Service personnel with suspected or confirmed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders have access to all the specialist assessment and treatment facilities that I have described. Where relevant, assessment and treatment are delivered in accordance with the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
	All military psychiatry and mental health services are occupational in nature and the aim is to return to full military functioning. When illness is chronic, demanding and debilitating and as such may prevent the individual from returning to service, the Service mental health, social work and resettlement specialities will work with the individual with a view to making the transition from Service to civilian life, and will liaise closely with NHS teams, social services and other authorities. The primary aim of all concerned is to provide a seamless transfer of the patient's care from the military to the NHS.

RAF Innsworth

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with Army personnel on their possible use of the RAF Innsworth site; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Releases into the Atmosphere

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list each episode where  (a) chemical particles and  (b) live organisms were released by his Department, its predecessors or those acting on their behalf over parts of the UK over the last 30 years.

Adam Ingram: An unclassified report summarising the BW Defence Field Trials conducted by the MOD between 1940 and 1979 was published in February 1999. A copy is available in the Library of the House, reference DERA/CBD/CR990038. Many of the reports of the individual trials are now also available in the National Archive. By the late 1970's the programme was drawing to a close with a small number of trials involving  Bacillus globigi,  E.coli and killed  Serratia Marcesens on restricted access MOD sites. In 1976, 77 and 78 these trials were undertaken on the range at Porton Down (no dates are given in the relevant technical reports). Also in 1976, trials were conducted at HMS Phoenix NBCD school Portsmouth on 5, 7, 9, 12, 14 and 15 May.
	In subsequent years, some small scale trials involving chemicals or micro-organisms have taken place on MOD land, but the information requested is not collated centrally and there is no indication that the details required have been retained within the MOD. A review of the information held within MOD and the compilation of any information located would involve disproportionate cost.

Royal Logistics Corps

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total  (a) required and  (b) actual personnel has been for each regiment in the Royal Logistics Corps since 1997.

Derek Twigg: The following table shows the full-time trained strength of the Royal Logistics Corps, compared to the liability, since 1 April 1997. Data showing the breakdown of the Royal Logistics Corps by regiment is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Full-time trained strength of the Royal Logistic Corps compared to liability 
			   Liability  Strength 
			 1 April 1997 n/a 15,590 
			 1 April 1998 n/a 15,360 
			 1 April 1999 15,860 15,250 
			 1 April 2000 16,320 15,340 
			 1 April 2001 16,680 15,000 
			 1 April 2002 16,680 14,810 
			 1 April 2003 16,350 14,980 
			 1 April 2004 16,290 15,450 
			 1 April 2005 16,390 15,520 
			 1 April 2006 15,720 15,670 
			 1 December 2006 15,720 15,580 
			 n/a = Not available   Notes:  1. The full-time trained strength and requirement includes Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) personnel, but excludes mobilised reservists. FTRS personnel were created under the Reserve Forces Act 1998 and hence there are no FTRS figures included within the 1 April 1997 and 1 April 1998 strengths.  2. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Numbers ending in five have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

Seconded Personnel

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account is taken of the wishes of foreign governments in decisions on whether to disclose information relating to the secondment of British personnel to countries to provide  (a) training,  (b) operational support and  (c) expert advice.

Des Browne: Any request to disclose information relating to the secondment of members of HM armed forces to foreign countries would be considered on a case by case basis and handled in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. Where a third party originated or has a direct interest in the information requested, it is our policy to consult and consider any comments in determining whether disclosure would be prejudicial and in assessing the balance of public interest. The proactive disclosure of any information would, of course, be decided in discussion with the foreign Government concerned.

Serco

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the length is of each contract his Department has with Serco; what services are provided under each contract; and where services are provided in each case.

Adam Ingram: According to central departmental records the Ministry of Defence currently has some 132 direct contracts with Serco. They are listed in the following table and indicate where the services are provided by geographical (rather than MOD site) location. Broadly, the services provided range from provision of task management, operation and maintenance services, information systems support, facilities operation and management, training and systems engineering and advice on nuclear safety. Other information, including indirect sub contracts, is not held centrally or in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Company  Location  Contract No.  Date contract commenced 
			 Serco Consultants Dumbarton WS33/8017 16 May 1997 
			 Serco Denholm Cirencester CB/STC9/047 31 October 2000 
			 Serco Denholm Plymouth NBCD1E/661685 26 January 2004 
			 Serco Denholm Plymouth NBCD1E/661687 26 January 2004 
			 Serco Denholm Plymouth NBCD1E/662296 29 November 2006 
			 Serco Denholm Basingstoke NBCPCB/0082 28 April 2006 
			 Serco Denholm Plymouth NLS21A/0001 28 February 1996 
			 Serco Denholm Portsmouth NLS21A/0002 28 February 1996 
			 Serco Denholm Greenock NLS21A/0003 28 February 1996 
			 Serco Gulf Engineering Cirencester PTC/CB/01258 16 January 2006 
			 Serco Ltd. Ipswich A/13B/7014 7 June 1995 
			 Serco Ltd. Oxford AARC1A/00136 25 October 2005 
			 Serco Ltd. Salisbury ABRO1B2/1790 22 April 1996 
			 Serco Ltd. Portsmouth ADGBS/2102 1 April 2003 
			 Serco Ltd. Warrington ART1A/1272 29 January 1999 
			 Serco Ltd. Oxford AVCOMM2/1194 12 November 2001 
			 Serco Ltd. Bicester AVCOMM2/1433 15 November 2004 
			 Serco Ltd. Portsmouth AVCOMM4/0235 26 August 2005 
			 Serco Ltd. Gloucester CASSCM/410 4 September 2001 
			 Serco Ltd. Brighton CB/DGIA/190 1 July 2005 
			 Serco Ltd. Yeovil CB/FLEET/3021 28 January 2004 
			 Serco Ltd. Portsmouth CB/FLT1/1145 6 April 2005 
			 Serco Ltd. Farnborough—Hants CB/FLT1/1335 7 November 2005 
			 Serco Ltd. Warrington CB/FLT1/1369 14 December 2005 
			 Serco Ltd. Oxford CB/STC2/385 3 March 1999 
			 Serco Ltd. Oxford CB/STC3/3048 18 November 1996 
			 Serco Ltd. — CB/STC3/3077 19 October 2001 
			 Serco Ltd. Swindon CBC(PI)038 10 February 2005 
			 Serco Ltd. Swindon CBC/1B/0093 11 December 2003 
			 Serco Ltd. Warrington CBC/2B/0213 1 July 2003 
			 Serco Ltd. Germany CDCRBG/1253 11 December 2000 
			 Serco Ltd. City/Centre of London CHOTS/1267I 30 July 1999 
			 Serco Ltd. Bristol CP(PI)0001 29 June 2000 
			 Serco Ltd. Gibraltar CP11A/1175 22 December 1999 
			 Serco Ltd. Portsmouth CP21B/1236 17 December 1997 
			 Serco Ltd. Ipswich CS4D/2027 30 September 2002 
			 Serco Ltd. Farnborough—Hants CSE/6072 1 August 2005 
			 Serco Ltd. Warrington CSG/057 1 April 2005 
			 Serco Ltd. Croydon CSIS/00032 9 May 2001 
			 Serco Ltd. Croydon CSIS/00033 13 July 2001 
			 Serco Ltd. North London CSIS/00143 1 April 2006 
			 Serco Ltd. Farnborough—Hants DCSA/2164 10 October 2005 
			 Serco Ltd. Hounslow DE32/7113 11 July 2001 
			 Serco Ltd. Colchester DE32/7114 11 July 2001 
			 Serco Ltd. Portsmouth DE32/7116 17 March 2003 
			 Serco Ltd. Didcot DECRE/11970 15 July 2003 
			 Serco Ltd. Farnborough—Hants DEO31/6078 8 July 1998 
			 Serco Ltd. Farnborough—Hants DEO32/7073 7 November 1997 
			 Serco Ltd. Hounslow DEO32/7074 7 November 1997 
			 Serco Ltd. Amersham DEO32/7077 7 November 1997 
			 Serco Ltd. Weymouth DLO/MTSC/0006 2 October 2000 
			 Serco Ltd. Didcot FS2/210 8 March 2002 
			 Serco Ltd. Farnborough—Hants FSATC1/1016 2 September 2003 
			 Serco Ltd. Ipswich HEC1A/0118 22 December 2004 
			 Serco Ltd. Yeovil HEC1A/0138 1 April 2006 
			 Serco Ltd. Droitwich ICS2A/112381 20 December 2000 
			 Serco Ltd. Portsmouth ICSS/1042 18 July 2001 
			 Serco Ltd. Portsmouth ICSS/1056 26 November 2002

Service Families: Support Arrangements

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) immediate and  (b) long-term support his Department plans to put in place for forces families upon the return of soldiers from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Derek Twigg: When service personnel return from operations they receive post operational leave (one working day for every nine calendar days deployed), which enables them to spend quality time with their families and friends, to assist in the process of adjustment. All service personnel and their families have access to significant single service welfare resources, which are permanently available to assist them with any difficulties they may encounter following the return of the serviceman or woman. This can be accessed through unit welfare and community support staff. Service personnel and their families also have access to independent Confidential Support Line provided by the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) Forces Help. In addition units provide a broad spectrum of welfare support and briefings prior to, during and after operations.

Spare Parts

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 6 December,  Official Report, column 448W, on spare parts, how many losses in transit there were in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006.

Adam Ingram: The reported total value of the losses in transit for financial year 2005-06 was £4.8 million, consisting of 2,823 items; and for the first nine months of financial year 2006-07 the total value of losses recorded is £2.1 million, consisting of 1,731 items. Data are not held in such a way that enables the separate identification of "spare parts".

Troops Accommodation

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to provide all troops in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan with hardened living accommodation as protection against mortar fire; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: We are continuing to improve the protection of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan against the effects of indirect fire through a range of measures depending on the nature of the threat. For a variety of logistical reasons there are no plans at present to provide all troops in either theatre with the kind of purpose built steel and concrete structures that provide some hardened protection against mortars.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles by British forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Des Browne: The UK currently deploys unmanned aerial vehicles in Afghanistan and has access to coalition unmanned aerial vehicles in Iraq. Together with other capabilities, this provides UK forces with tactical situational awareness and improves the force protection to deployed troops. We keep under review the requirement for reconnaissance, surveillance and wider force protection capabilities in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Warships: Procurement

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the  (a) Royal Navy warships and  (b) Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels (i) on which design work began and (ii) for which orders have been placed since the 1997 general election.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 8 February 2007
	Orders for the following Royal Navy warships and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels have been placed since May 1997:
	 Royal Navy
	 Type 45 Anti-Air Warfare Destroyers:
	Daring
	Dauntless
	Diamond
	Dragon
	Defender
	Duncan
	 Echo class Survey vessels:
	Echo
	Enterprise
	 River class Offshore Patrol vessels:
	Tyne
	Severn
	Mersey
	Clyde
	 Royal Fleet Auxiliary
	 Bay class Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliaries):
	Largs Bay
	Lyme Bay
	Mounts Bay
	Cardigan Bay
	This excludes any vessels chartered for Royal Fleet Auxiliary use and the six-ship RoRo Strategic Sealift PFI service.
	Design work on all of the above-named vessels began after May 1997. In addition, design work is under way on the two new aircraft carriers.

World War II: Bombs

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to determine whether the device recently discovered in Streatham Park Cemetery is an unexploded bomb dating from World War Two.

Adam Ingram: The MOD provides explosive ordnance clearance support to Police Forces under standing arrangements with the Home Office. The device referred to in Streatham Park Cemetery features on a list of Second World War unexploded bombs compiled many years ago from wartime and post war records. Bomb sites were examined at the time and the decision was taken that buried devices did not represent a danger to life. If munitions become unearthed then specialist military units, at the behest of the police, will dispose of the ordnance.

TREASURY

Committees: Ministerial Attendance

Ben Wallace: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what occasions  (a) he and  (b) departmental Ministers have been requested to appear before committees of (i) devolved institutions and (ii) the European Parliament since 2004; on what topic in each case; how many and what proportion of such requests were accepted; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: Treasury Ministers are accountable to the United Kingdom Parliament in respect of non-devolved matters. We have not appeared before committees of devolved institutions.
	Ministers in the Department attend committees of the European Parliament in the course of official business. A detailed analysis could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Constituencies : Statistics

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has to produce data for the new constituency areas once the order implementing the Boundary Commission's recommendations has been laid; and whether he has issued guidance to the ONS on the production of statistics for the new constituencies.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 February 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question concerning what plans the ONS has to produce data for the new constituency areas once the order has been moved; and what guidance has been issued to the ONS on the production of statistics for the new constituencies. I am replying in her absence. (119197)
	I have assumed your question is with reference to the parliamentary constituencies and Assembly Electoral Regions (Wales) Order 2006 (25 April 2006) which will become operative at the date of the next ordinary election to the Assembly in May 2007 in respect of the Assembly Constituencies and at the date of the next parliamentary election in respect of the parliamentary constituencies. An impact of the Order is that the boundaries of the new Assembly Constituencies will differ from those of the parliamentary constituencies until coterminosity is restored at the date of the next General Election. I understand that an equivalent order for parliamentary constituencies in England will be laid in due course and much of the following reply applies equally to such constituencies.
	ONS have geographical referencing systems that underpin the production of statistics for a range of UK statistical geographies. A range of constitution lists, look-up tables and digital boundaries are routinely updated to reflect boundary changes and are used to produce statistics for changed areas.
	We are publishing annual electoral registration statistics for local authorities and parliamentary constituencies on 22 February 2007. These tables are on existing boundaries.
	A number of statistics from the 2001 Census are published for parliamentary constituencies. ONS is reviewing the most appropriate manner in which 2001 Census data could be provided for new constituencies for the UK Parliament in both England and Wales when the boundaries for England are finalised. The amount of data produced from the 2001 Census for the new Welsh Assembly constituencies (that will share boundaries with parliamentary constituencies at the next general election), and the timing of its release, will depend on available resources and the priority of other Census outputs.
	For other statistics, we will start producing data for new constituencies as resources and work programmes allow.

Deborah Mattinson

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Deborah Mattinson has undertaken freelance work for his Department in the last three years.

John Healey: Deborah Mattinson has not undertaken any freelance work for the Treasury in the last three years.

Departmental Manpower

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what change in the number of employees in each  (a) region and  (b) county there has been for his Department, its agencies and public bodies, in (i) 2004-05 and (ii) 2005-06; what percentage of the total change was accounted for by each (A) region and (B) county; and what share of total employment in each (1) region and (2) county his Department's employees represented at (y) 1 April 2004 and (z) 31 March 2006.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 February 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning what change in the number of employees in each region and county there has been for the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Department, its agencies and public bodies, in each of 2004-05 and 2005-06; what percentage of the total change was accounted for by each region and county; and what share of total employment in each region and county his Department's employees represented at (a) 1st April 2004 and (b) 31st March 2006. I am replying in her absence. (119421)
	Civil Service employment statistics by region are published annually, broken down by government department, in the Civil Service Statistics report on the Cabinet Office website. The latest publication is for 1 April 2005.
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/publications/xls/report_2005/table_p.xls
	Regional statistics for Non-Departmental Public Bodies are not held centrally.
	Statistics have been provided as follows:
	i) Full-Time Equivalent permanent employment for the Chancellor's departments and agencies broken down by Government Office for the Regions for 1 April 2004 and 1 April 2005, together with the change between the two years.
	ii) For those departments and agencies for which more detailed statistics are available centrally, a breakdown by Administrative Area on a comparable basis has also been provided for the same two years. Small area statistics are not available for all Chancellor's departments.
	iii) For comparison purposes, total employment by region has been sourced from the Labour Force Survey. Please note that these statistics are headcounts and not Full Time Equivalents.
	
		
			  Regional distribution of permanent staff, non-industrial and industrial staff, 1 April 2005 
			  Full-time equivalent 
			   London and South East  
			  Departments and their agencies  London  South East  Total London and South East  South West  West Midlands  North West  North East  Yorkshire and the Humber 
			  Treasury 
			 HM Treasury 1,060 0 1,060 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Debt Management Office(1) 80 0 80 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Office of Government Commerce 
			 Office of Government Commerce (excluding agency) 190 0 190 0 0 10 0 0 
			 OGCbuying.solutions(1) 30 0 30 0 0 140 0 * 
			 Office of Government Commerce total 220 0 220 0 0 160 0 * 
			 Government Actuary's Department 110 0 110 0 0 0 0 0 
			 HM Customs and Excise(2) 5,550 3,960 9,510 790 1,240 3,150 490 1,150 
			  
			  Inland Revenue 
			 Inland Revenue (excluding agency)(2) 6,750 6,650 13,400 3,880 4,630 11,700 12,630 5,540 
			 Valuation Office Agency(1) 850 730 1,570 490 460 580 210 540 
			 Inland Revenue total 7,590 7,380 14,980 4,360 5,090 12,280 12,840 6,080 
			 National Savings and Investments(1) 110 0 110 0 0 * * 0 
			 Office for National Statistics(1) 870 760 1,640 0 0 820 0 0 
			 Royal Mint(1, 3) * 0 * 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 15,590 12,100 27,710 5,150 6,330 16,410 13,330 7,230 
		
	
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent 
			  Departments and their agencies  East Midlands  East of England  Wales  Scotland  Northern Ireland  Unreported and elsewhere  All regions 
			  Treasury
			 HM Treasury 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,060 
			 Debt Management Office(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 80 
			 
			  Office of Government Commerce
			 Office of Government Commerce (excluding agency) 0 150 0 10 0 20 380 
			 OGCbuying.solutions(1) 0 80 0 0 0 0 260 
			 Office of Government Commerce total 0 230 0 10 0 20 640 
			 Government Actuary's Department 0 0 0 0 0 0 110 
			 HM Customs and Excise(2) 860 3,510 680 1,290 710 50 23,420 
			 
			  Inland Revenue
			 Inland Revenue (excluding agency)(2) 4,160 3,270 4,040 8,700 1,790 20 73,750 
			 Valuation Office Agency(1) 320 360 310 80 0 * 4,910 
			 Inland Revenue total 4,480 3,620 4,350 8,780 1,790 20 78,660 
			 National Savings and Investments(1) 0 0 0 * 0 0 120 
			 Office for National Statistics(1) 0 0 1,260 0 0 0 3,720 
			 Royal Mint(1, 3) 0 0 730 0 0 0 730 
			 Total 5,340 7,360 7,020 10,080 2,500 90 108,540 
			 (1) Executive agencies. (2) Departments operating fully on Next Steps lines. Inland Revenue figure excludes the Valuation Office Agency which is a free standing agency. (3) Trading funds.  Notes: 1. FTE = full-time equivalents, with part-time staff counted as a proportion of full-time hours worked. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Numbers less than five have been suppressed and are represented by "*".  Source: Mandate and departmental returns. 
		
	
	
		
			  Regional distribution of permanent staff, non-industrial and industrial staff, 1 April 2004 
			  Full-time equivalent 
			   London and South East  
			  Departments and their agencies  London  South East  Total London and South East  South West  West Midlands  North West  North East  Yorkshire and the Humber 
			  Treasury 
			 HM Treasury 1,030 0 1,030 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Debt Management Office(1) 80 0 80 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Office of Government Commerce 
			 Office of Government Commerce (excluding agency) 180 0 180 0 0 0 0 20 
			 OGCbuying.solutions(1) 30 0 30 0 0 140 0 0 
			 Office of Government Commerce total 210 0 210 0 0 140 0 20 
			 Government Actuary's Department 100 0 100 0 0 0 0 0 
			 HM Customs and Excise(2) 5,510 3,610 9,120 800 1,150 2,880 480 1,080 
			  
			  Inland Revenue 
			 Inland Revenue (excluding agency)(2) 6,960 6,830 13,800 3,950 4,670 12,220 13,060 5,440 
			 Valuation Office Agency(1) 830 760 1,590 470 410 580 190 530 
			 Inland Revenue total 7,790 7,600 15,390 4,420 5,080 12,790 13,240 5,970 
			 National Savings and Investments(1) 100 0 100 0 0 * * 0 
			 Office for National Statistics(1) 860 740 1,600 0 0 680 0 0 
			 Royal Mint(1, 3) * 0 * 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 15,680 11,950 27,630 5,220 6,230 16,490 13,720 7,070 
		
	
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent 
			  Departments and their agencies  East Midlands  East of England  Wales  Scotland  Northern Ireland  Unreported and elsewhere  All regions 
			  Treasury
			 HM Treasury 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,030 
			 Debt Management Office(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 80 
			 
			  Office of Government Commerce
			 Office of Government Commerce (excluding agency) 0 150 0 10 0 20 370 
			 OGCbuying.solutions(1) 0 70 0 0 0 0 240 
			 Office of Government Commerce total 0 220 0 10 0 20 620 
			 Government Actuary's Department 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 
			 HM Customs and Excise(2) 810 3,490 590 1,240 670 270 22,590 
			 
			  Inland Revenue
			 Inland Revenue (excluding agency)(2) 4,190 3,430 4,260 8,500 1,800 * 75,320 
			 Valuation Office Agency(1) 290 340 310 90 0 0 4,790 
			 Inland Revenue total 4,480 3,770 4,570 8,580 1,800 * 80,110 
			 National Savings and Investments(1) 0 0 0 * 0 0 110 
			 Office for National Statistics(1) 0 0 1,170 0 0 0 3,450 
			 Royal Mint(1, 3) 0 0 770 0 0 0 770 
			 Total 5,290 7,480 7,100 9,830 2,470 290 108,860 
			 (1) Executive agencies. (2) Departments operating fully on Next Steps lines. Inland Revenue figure excludes the Valuation Office Agency which is a free standing agency. (3) Trading funds.  Notes: 1. FTE = full-time equivalents, with part-time staff counted as a proportion of full-time hours worked. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Numbers less than five have been suppressed and are represented by "*".  Source: Mandate and departmental returns. 
		
	
	
		
			  Non-industrial and industrial staff, change between 1 April 2004 and 1 April 2005 
			  Full-time equivalent 
			   London and South East  
			  Departments and their agencies  London  South East  Total London and South East  South West  West Midlands  North West  North East  Yorkshire and the Humber 
			  Treasury 
			 HM Treasury 30 0 30 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Debt Management Office(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			  Office of Government Commerce 
			 Office of Government Commerce (excluding agency) 10 0 10 0 0 10 0 -20 
			 OGCbuying.solutions(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 * 
			 Office of Government Commerce total 10 0 10 0 0 20 0 * 
			 HM Customs and Excise(2) 10 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Government Actuary's Department 40 350 390 -10 90 270 10 70 
			  
			  Inland Revenue 
			 Inland Revenue (excluding agency)(2) -210 -180 -400 -70 -40 -520 -430 100 
			 Valuation Office Agency(1) 20 -30 -20 20 50 0 20 10 
			 Inland Revenue total -200 -220 -410 -60 10 -510 -400 110 
			 National Savings and Investments(1) 10 0 10 0 0 * * 0 
			 Office for National Statistics(1) 10 20 40 0 0 140 0 0 
			 Royal Mint(1, 3) * 0 * 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total -90 150 80 -70 100 -80 -390 160 
		
	
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent 
			  Departments and their agencies  East Midlands  East of England  Wales  Scotland  Northern Ireland  Unreported and elsewhere  All regions 
			  Treasury
			 HM Treasury 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 
			 Debt Management Office(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 
			  Office of Government Commerce
			 Office of Government Commerce (excluding agency) 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 
			 OGCbuying.solutions(1) 0 10 0 0 0 0 20 
			 Office of Government Commerce total 0 10 0 0 0 0 20 
			 HM Customs and Excise(2) 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 
			 Government Actuary's Department 50 20 90 50 40 -220 830 
			 
			  Inland Revenue
			 Inland Revenue (excluding agency)(2) -30 -160 -220 200 -10 * -1,570 
			 Valuation Office Agency(1) 30 20 0 -10 0 * 120 
			 Inland Revenue total 0 -150 -220 200 -10 * -1,450 
			 National Savings and Investments(1) 0 0 0 * 0 0 10 
			 Office for National Statistics(1) 0 0 90 0 0 0 270 
			 Royal Mint(1, 3) 0 0 -40 0 0 0 -40 
			 Total 50 -120 -80 250 30 -200 -320 
			 (1) Executive agencies. (2) Departments operating fully on Next Steps lines. Inland Revenue figure excludes the Valuation Office Agency which is a free standing agency. (3) Trading funds.  Notes: 1. Calculations of change are based on published rounded figures. 2. Numbers less than five have been suppressed and are represented by "*". 
		
	
	
		
			  Non-industrial and industrial staff, 1 April 2005 
			  Full-time equivalent 
			  Administrative area  GAD  HM Treasury  Inland Revenue  Royal Mint  Valuation Office  ONS 
			 Greater London 110 1,060 6,750 * 850 870 
			 Greater Manchester — — 3,920 — 220 — 
			 Merseyside — — 4,010 — 100 820 
			 South Yorkshire — — 740 — 90 — 
			 Tyne and Wear — — 10,910 — 100 — 
			 West Midlands — — 2,560 — 260 — 
			 West Yorkshire — — 3,800 — 290 — 
			 Bedfordshire — — 360 — 40 — 
			 Berkshire — — 420 — 60 — 
			 Buckinghamshire — — 370 — 50 — 
			 Cambridgeshire — — 730 — 70 — 
			 Cheshire — — 380 — 80 — 
			 Cornwall — — 650 — 40 — 
			 Cumbria — — 290 — 60 — 
			 Derbyshire — — 420 — 70 — 
			 Devon — — 810 — 150 — 
			 Dorset — — 540 — 60 — 
			 Durham — — 780 — 60 — 
			 East Sussex — — 480 — 50 — 
			 Essex — — 780 — 130 — 
			 Gloucestershire — — 310 — 60 — 
			 Hampshire — — 1,640 — 130 760 
			 Hereford and Worcester — — 380 — 90 — 
			 Hertfordshire — — 610 — 60 — 
			 Kent — — 930 — 110 — 
			 Lancashire — — 3,100 — 120 — 
			 Leicestershire — — 920 — 60 — 
			 Lincolnshire — — 460 — 50 — 
			 Norfolk — — 580 — 60 — 
			 Northamptonshire — — 380 — 50 — 
			 Northumberland — — 100 — 20 — 
			 North Yorkshire — — 240 — 40 — 
			 Nottinghamshire — — 1,980 — 90 — 
			 Oxfordshire — — 220 — 50 — 
			 Shropshire — — 980 — 40 — 
			 Somerset — — 400 — 60 — 
			 Staffordshire — — 540 — 70 — 
			 Suffolk — — 400 — 50 — 
			 Surrey — — 810 — 90 — 
			 Warwickshire — — 170 — — — 
			 West Sussex — — 1,510 — 140 — 
			 Wiltshire — — 250 — 40 — 
			 Scotland — — 8,700 — 80 — 
			 Wales — — 4,040 730 310 1,260 
			 Northern Ireland — — 1,790 — — — 
			 Other Unitary Authorities — — 2,580 — 220 — 
			 Not known — — 20 — * — 
			 Total 110 1,060 73,750 730 4,910 3,720 
			  Note: Numbers less than five have been suppressed and are represented by "*".  Source: Mandate. 
		
	
	
		
			  Non-industrial and industrial staff, 1 April 2004 
			  Full-time equivalent 
			  Administrative area  GAD  HM Treasury  Inland Revenue  Royal Mint  Valuation Office  ONS 
			 Greater London 100 1,030 6,960 * 830 860 
			 Greater Manchester — — 3,980 — 220 — 
			 Merseyside — — 4,180 — 100 680 
			 South Yorkshire — — 760 — 90 — 
			 Tyne and Wear — — 11,240 — 90 — 
			 West Midlands — — 2,530 — 240 — 
			 West Yorkshire — — 3,630 — 290 — 
			 Bedfordshire — — 380 — 40 — 
			 Berkshire — — 420 — 70 — 
			 Buckinghamshire — — 400 — 60 — 
			 Cambridgeshire — — 780 — 60 — 
			 Cheshire — — 390 — 80 — 
			 Cornwall — — 690 — 40 — 
			 Cumbria — — 300 — 50 — 
			 Derbyshire — — 420 — 60 — 
			 Devon — — 850 — 130 — 
			 Dorset — — 460 — 60 — 
			 Durham — — 840 — 50 — 
			 East Sussex — — 500 — 60 — 
			 Essex — — 790 — 120 — 
			 Gloucestershire — — 330 — 60 — 
			 Hampshire — — 1,670 — 140 740 
			 Hereford and Worcester — — 380 — 80 — 
			 Hertfordshire — — 640 — 60 — 
			 Kent — — 1,000 — 120 — 
			 Lancashire — — 3,370 — 120 — 
			 Leicestershire — — 890 — 60 — 
			 Lincolnshire — — 480 — 40 — 
			 Norfolk — — 620 — 60 — 
			 Northamptonshire — — 380 — 50 — 
			 Northumberland — — 120 — 20 — 
			 North Yorkshire — — 260 — 40 — 
			 Nottinghamshire — — 2,020 — 80 — 
			 Oxfordshire — — 220 — 50 — 
			 Shropshire — — 990 — 30 — 
			 Somerset — — 420 — 70 — 
			 Staffordshire — — 560 — 60 — 
			 Suffolk — — 410 — 50 — 
			 Surrey — — 850 — 80 — 
			 Warwickshire — — 210 —  — 
			 West Sussex — — 1,510 — 140 — 
			 Wiltshire — — 270 — 40 — 
			 Scotland — — 8,500 — 90 — 
			 Wales — — 4,260 770 310 1,170 
			 Northern Ireland — — 1 ,800 — — — 
			 Other Unitary Authorities — — 2,650 — 210 — 
			 Not known — — * — — — 
			 Total 100 1,030 75,320 770 4,790 3,450 
			  Note: Numbers less than five have been suppressed and are represented by "*".  Source: Mandate. 
		
	
	
		
			  Labour Force Survey, in Employment 
			  Thousand (seasonally adjusted) 
			   London  South East (excluding London)  South West  West Midlands  North West  North East 
			   YCJV  YCJW  YCJX  YCJT  YCJQ  YCJP 
			  March 2004  3,547  4,034  2,448  2,464  3,139  1,114 
			  March 2005  3,570  4,069  2,470  2,525  3,172  1,121 
		
	
	
		
			  Thousand (seasonally adjusted) 
			   Yorkshire and the Humber  East Midlands  East of England  Wales  Scotland  Northern Ireland 
			  YCJR YCJS YCJU YCJZ YCKA ZSFG 
			 March 2004 2,351 2,061 2,740 1,326 2,423 721 
			 March 2005 2,362 2,083 2,735 1,317 2,451 741

Departmental Photographs

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on photography in the last year for which figures are available.

John Healey: Photography is not recorded as a separate category of expenditure, so the information on spending, if any, is not held.

Departmental Reorganisation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes have been made to his Department's Directorate structure in the last 12 months.

John Healey: The Treasury's Directorate structure is published annually in the departmental report.

Departments: Conferences

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions civil servants in his Department and its agencies have been given permission to attend the Labour Party conference to carry out departmental business in the last three years.

John Healey: Where officials are required to attend party conferences to carry out essential official business unconnected with the conference, this is done in accordance with section 4.4 of the civil service management code.

Electorate

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Office of National Statistics' estimate is of the total registered electorate eligible to vote in UK general elections in  (a) England,  (b) Wales,  (c) Scotland and  (d) Northern Ireland in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 13 February 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question concerning what the Office for National Statistics' estimate is of the total registered electorate eligible to vote in the UK general elections in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland in each year since 1997. I am replying in her absence. (119477)
	The attached table shows the number of registered electors by the constituent countries of the UK (excluding attainers) for 1997 to 2005. Data for 1 December 2006 will be published on 22 February 2007 and will be downloadable from:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=319&Pos=&ColRank=l&Rank=272
	
		
			  Total number of registered electorate eligible to vote in the UK and its constituent countries, 1997 to 2005 
			  February 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001 
			 United Kingdom 43,888,115 44,035,670 44,175,166 44,272,419 44,422,543 
			 England 36,568,394 36,696,571 36,808,100 36,909,180 37,043,755 
			 Wales 2,199,377 2,209,781 2,206,490 2,212,151 2,218,453 
			 Scotland 3,947,813 3,958,700 3,975,665 3,961,944 3,970,838 
			 Northern Ireland 1,172,531 1,170,618 1,184,911 1,189,144 1,189,497 
		
	
	
		
			  December 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 United Kingdom 44,568,029 44,248,947 44,071,274 44,180,204 44,448,897 
			 England 37,231,972 37,121,228 36,973,617 37,092,001 37,241,084 
			 Wales 2,217,396 2,207,347 2,204,395 2,217,495 2,221,883 
			 Scotland 3,938,081 3,856,856 3,830,079 3,833,072 3,836,876 
			 Northern Ireland 1,180,580 1,063,516 1,063,183 1,037,636 1,149,054 
			  Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Marriage

Lorely Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which religions and other groups' representatives are empowered to perform marriages; what the process is for such empowerment; what account is taken of human rights legislation on discrimination in this process; and what representations he has received on this subject.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Registrar General, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 February 2007:
	The Registrar General for England and Wales has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking which religions and other groups' representatives are empowered to perform marriages; what the process is for such empowerment; what account is taken of human rights legislation on discrimination in this process; and what representations have been received on this subject. I am replying in her absence. (119004)
	The Marriage Act 1949 provides for civil and religious marriages. Separate arrangements apply to marriages according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England, Jews and the Society of Friends. Marriages according to the rites and ceremonies of all other religions may take place in a registered building that is principally used by a congregation meeting for religious worship and is certified to the Registrar General as a place of religious worship. A building is registered for marriages by the Registrar General on application by the proprietor or trustee of the building.
	The application has to be accompanied by a certificate signed by at least twenty householders that the building is their usual place of public religious worship. When a building has been registered for marriages, it may be used for the solemnisation of marriages according to religious rites and ceremonies. For the first year, marriages are attended and registered by a registrar. After that first year, the trustees or governing body may authorise a person from within the congregation to act as registrar and notify the Registrar General, who will then issue that person with marriage registers and certificates, providing she is satisfied as to the safe custody of those registers.
	Provision is also made for a religious marriage by a person who is housebound, detained or seriously ill and not expected to recover.
	The Government does not consider the Marriage Act 1949 to be incompatible with the Human Rights Act. It is therefore not appropriate to take separate account of human rights legislation in this process. The Registrar General has occasionally received representations in respect of specific applications.

Mortality Statistics

Tony Baldry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2007,  Official Report, column 232W, on mortality statistics, how many people died as a result of a stroke in  (a) 2003,  (b) 2004,  (c) 2005 and  (d) 2006 in (i) Northern Ireland, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Wales.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 February 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking, pursuant to the Answer of 30th January 2007, Official Report, column 232W, on mortality statistics, how many people died as a result of a stroke in each (a) strategic health authority and (b) primary care trust in (i) 2003, (ii) 2004, (iii) 2005 and (iv) 2006. I am replying in her absence (119233)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths where stroke was the underlying cause of death in each (a) strategic health authority and (b) primary care organisation1 in England, the total number in Wales, and in England and Wales combined, for 2003 to 2005 (the latest year available). A copy has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	The totals given here for England and Wales are slightly lower than the corresponding figures given in the Answer of 30th January. Figures broken down by NHS organisation differ from national figures in excluding deaths of people not usually resident in England and Wales, and are based on the year of registration of death rather than the year of occurrence.

Mr. Nigel Morris

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what role Mr. Nigel Morris has played in advising his Department since 1997.

John Healey: There is no record of Nigel Morris having advised the Treasury since 1997.

Public Appointments

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1342W, on public appointments, on which appointments the Prime Minister's approval was sought.

John Healey: The Prime Minister's approval is sought wherever it is required for an appointment to be made.

Regional Planning and Development

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the scope is of the Sub National Review of Economic Development and Regeneration; with which Government Departments he has held discussions on the review; and when the review will  (a) conclude and  (b) publish its findings.

John Healey: The review of sub-national economic development and regeneration was announced in the 2006 Budget. Its terms of reference can be found on the Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/spending_review/spend_csr07/reviews/spend_csr07_reviewsindex.cfm
	The review is led by the Treasury, working closely with DCLG, DTI and other Government Departments. The findings of the review will report to Ministers ahead of CSR 2007.

Smuggling: Fuels

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many vehicles which had been used for cross border fuel smuggling were seized by the authorities in Northern Ireland in the last period for which figures are available; how much fuel was seized; and what estimate he has made of the amount of revenue which would have been lost as a result of the attempted smuggling.

John Healey: During 2005-06,1.08 million litres of fuel and 956 vehicles were seized relating to all forms of illicit fuel activity including smuggling. All operational data relate to HMRC only and not to any other agencies.
	The latest estimates of revenue loss in the hydrocarbon oils sector are published in 'Measuring Indirect Tax Loss-2006', which was published alongside the PBR. All estimates for Northern Ireland relate to total non-UK duty paid consumption rather than the illicit market and include legitimate cross-border shopping.

Smuggling: Fuels

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many illegal fuel laundering plants were detected in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years, broken down by district command unit.

John Healey: The number of illegal fuel laundering plants disrupted in Northern Ireland are available in HMRC's annual report and are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of laundering plants disrupted in Northern Ireland 
			   Number 
			 2003-04 13 
			 2004-05 18 
			 2005-06 16 
		
	
	The above figures relate to all of Northern Ireland as HMRC law enforcement activity is co-ordinated from one central unit covering the whole province.

Smuggling: Fuels

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many vehicles in Northern Ireland were detected running illegally on red diesel in each of the last three years.

John Healey: The number of vehicles seized relating to hydrocarbon oils fraud in Northern Ireland are available in HMRC's annual report and are as follows:
	
		
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Number of vehicles seized 901 812 956

Tax Burden

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of gross annual income was taken in tax and national insurance contributions for each decile of the taxable income distribution in  (a) cash and  (b) real terms in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 8 February 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking what proportion of gross annual income was taken in tax and national insurance contributions for each decile of the taxable income distribution in (a) cash and (b) real terms in each year since 1997.1 am replying in her absence. (119388).
	Estimates of income tax and national insurance payments by income decile appear in the ONS analysis 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household income'. The latest analysis for 2004/05 was published on the National Statistics website on 12th May 2006 at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/taxesbenefits. The analysis is based on data from the Expenditure and Food Survey, which is a sample survey covering approximately 7,000 households in the UK.
	The tables below show the average annual payment of income tax and national insurance contributions expressed as a percentage of gross household income, for household in each income decile. The income deciles are based on a ranking of households using equivalised disposable household income (rather than taxable income). This is the standard measure of income used for distributional analysis.
	The percentages are reasonably comparable over time. The figures in the annual analysis are not deflated or expressed in real terms because the main focus of interest is in the income distribution and how this distribution changes over time. However, even if the figures used to calculate the percentages appearing below were adjusted for average price changes using the Retail Prices Index, the percentages would be the same, since both gross household income, and tax payments would be adjusted by the same factor.
	There was a change to the way that tax credits were treated from 2003/04 onwards, which has some effect on the estimates of income tax payment. Up until 2002/03 tax credits were treated as cash benefits.
	From 2003/04, they are classified as negative income tax, but only to the extent that income tax less tax credits, remains greater than or equal to zero for each family.
	So for households paying relatively little or no income tax, tax credit payments were still regarded either partially or wholly, as cash benefits. Based on figures for 2003/04, the effect of this change is to reduce the estimate of income tax as a proportion of gross income by 0.4%.
	The percentage payments reflect both the number of households paying each tax, and the size of the payments. Since the results are based on a sample survey, some of the year to year movement is due to sampling variability, however the tables do illustrate longer term trends in the distribution of tax payments.
	
		
			  Average income tax as a percentage of gross household income United Kingdom, 1997-98 to 2004-05 
			   Decile groups of all households ranked by equivalised disposable income  Percentage 
			   Bottom  2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th  7th  8th  9th  Top  All households 
			 1997-98 3.9 4.0 5.1 7.5 10.1 11.8 13.6 15.1 16.2 19.9 14.1 
			 1998-99 3.4 3.9 4.8 7.3 9.4 11.2 12.4 13.8 15.3 19.8 13.5 
			 1999-2000 2.8 3.4 4.9 7.4 9.3 10.7 12.6 14.0 15.5 19.1 13.4 
			 2000-01 3.2 3.9 6.2 8.1 10.0 11.6 13.4 14.4 16.0 18.7 13.7 
			 2001-02 3.3 3.1 5.2 8.3 9.4 11.0 12.9 14.1 15.9 19.8 13.8 
			 2002-03 2.6 4.1 4.7 7.5 9.4 11.0 12.6 14.1 15.6 20.0 13.5 
			 2003-04(1) 3.5 3.1 4.8 6.8 8.9 10.8 12.7 14.1 15.6 19.9 13.5 
			 2004-05 2.3 3.5 5.2 7.0 9.1 10.6 12.3 13.9 15.8 19.7 13.3 
			 1 From 2003-04 onwards, income tax is shown after the deduction of any tax credits, which offset payments of income tax. Before 2002-03 tax credits treated wholly as social security benefits.  Source: 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household Income', ONS 
		
	
	
		
			  National insurance contributions as a percentage of gross household income United Kingdom. 1997-98 to 2004-05 
			   Decile groups of all households ranked by equivalised disposable income  Percentage 
			   Bottom  2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th  7th  8th  9th  Top  All households 
			 1997-98 1.2 1.7 2.1 3.1 4.1 4.7 5.0 5.3 5.3 3.6 42 
			 1998-99 1.5 1.8 2.2 3.4 4.1 4.6 5.1 5.4 5.2 3.5 4.2 
			 1999-2000 1.3 1.6 2.2 3.2 3.8 4.5 4.8 5.0 5.2 3.1 3.9 
			 2000-01 1.2 1.6 2.3 2.9 3.9 4.4 4.9 4.9 4.8 3.2 3.8 
			 2001-02 1.2 1.2 2.0 2.7 3.7 4.2 4.6 5.0 5.1 3.2 3.8 
			 2002-03 1.0 1.5 1.9 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.6 4.8 4.7 3.4 3.8 
			 2003-04 1.2 1.6 2.3 3.3 4.1 4.8 5.1 5.5 5.5 4.1 4.4 
			 2004-05 1.1 1.8 2.7 3.3 4.3 4.8 5.2 5.6 5.9 4.2 4.5 
			  Source: 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household Income', ONS 
		
	
	
		
			  Income tax and national insurance contributions as a percentage of gross household income United Kingdom. 1997-98 to 2004-05 
			   Decile groups of all households ranked by equivalised disposable income  Percentage 
			   Bottom  2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th  7th  8th  9th  Top  All households 
			 1997-98 5.2 5.7 7.3 10.5 14.2 16.5 18.6 20.3 21.5 23.5 18.3 
			 1998-99 4.9 5.7 7.0 10.6 13.5 15.8 17.6 19.2 20.6 23.3 17.7 
			 1999-2000 4.1 5.0 7.1 10.6 13.2 15.2 17.4 19.0 20.6 22.3 17.3 
			 2000-01 4.4 5.5 8.5 11.0 13.9 16.0 18.2 19.3 20.8 22.0 17.5 
			 2001-02 4.5 4.3 7.2 11.0 13.1 15.2 17.5 19.1 21.0 23.0 17.6 
			 2002-03 3.6 5.7 6.7 10.5 13.0 15.0 17.2 18.9 20.3 23.4 17.3 
			 2003-04(1) 4.7 4.6 7.1 10.1 12.9 15.6 17.8 19.6 21.1 24.0 17.8 
			 2004-05 3.4 5.3 7.9 10.3 13.4 15.4 17.4 19.6 21.8 23.8 17.8 
			 (1) From 2003-04 onwards, income tax is shown after the deduction of any tax credits, which offset payments of income tax. Before 2002-03 tax credits treated wholly as social security benefits. Source: 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household income', ONS

Written Questions: Administrative Delays

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will answer question 113824, on public sector pensions, tabled on 5 January 2007 by the hon. Member for Yeovil.

John Healey: It was answered on 2 February 2007,  Official Report, column 569W.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Adult Mental Health Services

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what national guidance is given to adult mental health services on young people who have left care who ask for support.

Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
	No national guidance has been issued to adult mental health services specifically about young people who have left care. Access to mental health services is based on each patient's clinical need as determined by clinicians. All people who are eligible for treatment under the national health service should be able to access mental health services in primary care and, following referral by a primary care practitioner, in secondary care.
	Once care leavers reach the age of 18, they then have the same entitlements to mainstream services, including age-appropriate mental health services, as other young people who have not been in care. It is their personal adviser's role to assist them to access any necessary support.

Children: Databases

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the timetable is for the implementation of the Children's Information Sharing Index; what information will be entered on to the index; who will enter the information on to the index; what the penalties will be for not complying with the requirements of the index; and who will have access to the information on the index.

Beverley Hughes: The Government announced, on 8 December 2005, their intention to implement a national index in 150 local authorities by the end of 2008. We are now nearing completion of the design phase which will include agreement of the proposed build and implementation plan.
	Section 12 of the Children Act 2004, and affirmative resolution regulations to be made under section 12, will set out the information that must or may be included on the index.
	The index will contain a limited and basic record for all children in England up to the age of 18 including basic identifying information—name, address, gender, data of birth, and a unique identifying number based on the existing child reference number/national insurance number; contact details for the child's parent of carer; contact details for services involved with the child; a means for practitioners to indicate that they have information to share, have taken action, or have undertaken a Common Assessment Framework in relation to the child; and other information, included solely for the purposes of identifying and managing the quality of data in the index, for example the date of the last update to the record.
	Section 12 and the supporting regulations specifically prohibit the inclusion of any case information on the index.
	To help support the transition to adult services, there is provision for records of young people who receive additional services—for example care leavers and those with learning disabilities—to remain on the index, with their consent, up to the age of 25.
	A recent public consultation, which concluded on 14 December 2006, sought views on a number of additional data items for inclusion on the index including the addition of name and contact details of the child's health visitor, school nurse and named midwife and, where appropriate, the date of death. Inclusion of the date of death will help to ensure that practitioners who had been working with the child become aware that the child has died and, where approaching the family is necessary, can do so sensitively. It will also enable a timely closure of the record.
	The index will be populated from existing national and local data sources. Data sources are yet to be confirmed but officials are in discussions with a number of national organisations. Draft regulations set out those organisations and bodies who we expect to be required and those who we expect to be permitted to supply information to the index. Wherever it is possible, securing data from existing practitioner systems will avoid the need for double data entry on the part of practitioners. Where direct data feeds are not possible, practitioners may be required to enter the information directly into the index via a web browser or indirectly via an authorised index user.
	We see now the need to introduce penalties relating specifically to the index. There are already measures in criminal law which impose penalties for theft or misuse of data or unauthorised access to computer records. Mandatory training for all users and operators of the index will stipulate that section 55 of the Data Protection Act 1998 makes it an offence to unlawfully obtain or disclose personal data without the consent of the data controller. The DCA are considering increasing the penalty for those who misuse personal data from a fine to imprisonment for up to two years. The Computer Misuse Act 1990 provides that unauthorised access, or attempted unauthorised access, to a program or data held on a computer may be punishable by imprisonment.
	The draft regulations made under section 12 specify the types of practitioners in the children's work force whose role would make it appropriate for them to have access to the index including practitioners from health, education, social care and youth justice. Access will be granted according to the role of the practitioner. For example, in a school a small number of named designated staff, such as teachers of children with special educational needs or those with pastoral or child protection responsibilities will have access. Before being granted access to the index, all practitioners will have undergone an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check, any other relevant checks and relevant training in the safe and secure use of the index.
	The draft regulations will be laid before Parliament for debate under affirmative resolution procedures.

Children: Theatre

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received on the  (a) increase in child performance licences issued and  (b) reform of this licensing system; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 6 February 2007
	The Department routinely receives correspondence related to child performance licensing matters, some of which argues for changes to the licensing system. I am not aware of any representations on increases in licences issued. The Government have no plans to change the current system.

Citizenship

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of schools teach citizenship  (a) nationally,  (b) in Cumbria and  (c) Westmoreland and Lonsdale.

Jim Knight: holding answer 30 January 2007
	All maintained secondary schools in England have a duty to provide Citizenship education, which became a statutory part of the National Curriculum in 2002.
	In primary schools, Citizenship is delivered as part of a joint non-statutory framework with personal, social and health education (PSHE). We do not collect data on how many schools follow this framework.

Class Size

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2006,  Official Report, column 1467W, on class sizes, which schools have class sizes of more than 50 pupils.

Jim Knight: The information requested is shown in the tables.
	
		
			  Maintained secondary schools: number of classes with 50 or more pupils in year group 10 and 11 taught by one teacher, January 2006—Schools in England 
			  LA name  School name  Number of classes with 50 or more pupils  Number of pupils  Number of support staff  Class activity 
			 Walsall Barr Beacon Language College 1 119 0 PE or Games 
			 Walsall The Streetly School 1 57 0 PE or Games 
			 Somerset The Kings of Wessex Community School 1 108 0 PE or Games 
			 Lancashire Lostock Hall Community High School and Arts College 1 53 1 Humanities 
			 Cornwall Wadebridge School 1 59 0 PE or Games 
			 Sefton Litherland High School 1 51 0 PE or Games 
			 Birmingham Sheldon Heath Community Arts College 1 54 1 PE or Games 
			  Notes: 1. Includes middle schools as deemed 2. Classes taught during a single selected period on the day of the census in January.  Source: Schools Census. 
		
	
	
		
			  Maintained secondary schools: number of classes with 50 or more pupils in year group 10 and 11 taught by two or more teachers, January 2006—Schools in England 
			  LA name  School name  Number of classes with 50 or more pupils  Number of pupils  Number of teachers  Numbers of support staff  Class activity 
			 Kent Hugh Christie Technology College 1 62 2 0 Technology, IT or Computing 
			 Derbyshire St. Mary's Catholic High School 1 200 9 1 PE or Games 
			 Reading Reading School 1 126 5 0 PE or Games 
			 Barnet Hendon School 1 106 4 0 PE or Games 
			 Lancashire St Bede's Catholic High School 1 57 2 0 PE or Games 
			 Lancashire Accrington St. Christopher's Church of England High School 1 88 4 0 PE or Games 
			 Brighton and Hove Cardinal Newman Catholic School 1 106 5 0 PE or Games 
			 Hertfordshire The Chauncy School 1 108 7 0 PE or Games 
			 Northumberland Ashington Community High School 1 155 5 0 PE or Games 
			 Shropshire William Brookes School 1 79 4 0 PE or Games 
			 Hampshire Kings' School 1 79 3 0 PE or Games 
			 Lewisham Forest Hill School 1 199 6 0 PE or Games 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of Sydney Smith School 1 64 2 0 PE or Games 
			 North Yorkshire Upper Wharfedale School 1 61 3 0 Education 
			 Cornwall Saltash net Community School 1 98 4 0 PE or Games 
			 Hertfordshire Meridian School 1 51 2 0 PE or Games 
			 Bath and North East Somerset Ralph Allen School 1 88 3 0 Other 
			 Staffordshire Ounsdale High School 1 104 4 0 PE or Games 
			 Leeds Priesthorpe School 1 106 5 0 PE or Games 
			 Kent The Harvey Grammar School 1 81 4 0 PE or Games 
			 Staffordshire Endon High School 1 86 4 0 PE or Games 
			 Hertfordshire Roundwood Park School 1 182 7 0 PE or Games 
			 Kent Holmesdale Technology College 1 107 5 0 PE or Games 
			 Waltham Forest Norlington School for Boys 1 115 5 0 PE or Games 
			 Lincolnshire Birkbeck School and Community Arts College 1 55 2 1 PE or Games 
			 Waltham Forest Tom Hood School 1 89 4 0 PE or Games 
			 Devon Braunton School and Community College 1 78 3 0 PE or Games 
			 Salford Wentworth High School 1 55 4 0 PE or Games 
			 East Sussex Thomas Peacocke Community College 1 57 2 0 PE or Games 
			 Leicestershire The Beauchamp College 1 57 2 0 PE or Games 
			 North Yorkshire Thirsk School and Sixth Form College 1 88 4 0 PE or Games 
			 North Tyneside Monkseaton Community High School 1 53 3 0 PE or Games 
			 Wakefield Crofton High School—Specialists in Maths and Computing 1 63 3 0 PE or Games 
			 Oldham The Radclyffe School 1 55 2 0 PE or Games 
			 Essex The Ramsey School 1 71 3 1 PE or Games 
			 Wakefield Castleford High School Technology College 1 65 3 0 PE or Games 
			 Lincolnshire The Aveland High School 1 95 4 1 Science 
			 Sutton Greenshaw High School 1 110 5 0 PE or Games 
			 Gloucestershire Sir Thomas Rich's School 1 113 6 0 PE or Games 
			 West Berkshire St Bartholomew's School 2 114 6 0 PE or Games 
			 South Gloucestershire Martwood School 2 122 5 0 PE or Games 
			 Tower Hamlets St Paul's Way Community School 2 475 20 0 Mathematics or Numeracy, Science 
			 North Yorkshire Tadcaster Grammar School 2 121 4 0 PE or Games 
			 Rochdale Siddal Moor Sports College 2 143 6 0 PE or Games 
			 Stoke-on-Trent Blurton High School 2 114 4 0 PE or Games 
			 Norfolk Hellesdon High School 2 130 6 0 PE or Games 
			 Hillingdon Mellow Lane School 3 423 19 0 Personal, Social or Leisure, Education/Science/English, Literacy or Reading 
			  Note: 1. Includes middle schools as deemed.  2. Classes taught during a single selected period on the day of the census in January.   Source:  Schools Census

Committees: Ministerial Appearances

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on what occasions  (a) he and  (b) departmental ministers have been requested to appear before committees of (i) devolved institutions and (ii) the European Parliament since 2004; on what topic in each case; how many and what proportion of such requests were accepted; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: Ministers in the Department regularly attend committees and the European Parliament in the course of official business. It is not possible to provide the more detailed information requested without incurring disproportionate cost.

Correspondence

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he will reply to the letter of 21 November 2006 from the hon. Member for Leeds, North West about the collection of biometric data in schools.

Jim Knight: holding answer 18 December 2006
	The Department has no record of your letter dated 21 November on biometric data in schools. However, on 12 December, the Department responded to your letter dated 14 November, relating to this subject.

Crime: Young People

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent academic studies funded by his Department researched the social and economic backgrounds of perpetrators of youth crime and the influence of social and economic backgrounds on youth crime.

Parmjit Dhanda: Two recent studies (undertaken in the past three years) have explored the risk factors associated with young people's likelihood of becoming involved in crime and antisocial behaviour (these include social and economic factors as well as factors relating to an individual child's psychological and emotional profile, such as cognitive and non-cognitive skills). First:
	Sutton, C., Utting, D., Farrington, D. (2004) eds, 'Support from the Start', DfES Research Report 524. This study looks at the risk factors (for later crime/ASB involvement) potentially encountered at four childhood life stages (pre-natal, 0-two, three-eight and nine-13) and at interventions found to be 'promising' in terms of their effectiveness in counteracting risk;
	and a second, complementary report which looks at practical applications for our knowledge of the risk factors associated with young people's later offending:
	McCarthy, P., Laing, K. and Walker, J. (2004) 'Offenders of the Future? Assessing the Risk of Children and Young People Becoming Involved in Criminal or Antisocial Behaviour', DfES Research Report 545. The report is an evidence based manual designed to assist practitioners in identifying families with children aged between four and 12 who are at risk of becoming involved in criminal or antisocial behaviour and to facilitate effective targeting of interventions that aim to reduce such risk.
	Other relevant research studies are:
	Feinstein, L. and Sabates, R. (2005) 'Education and Youth Crime: Effects of Introducing the Education Maintenance Allowance', DfES Research Brief RCB01-05
	'Positive Activities for Young People' (2006)
	both of which look at the crime-related outcomes associated with DfES programmes.
	Current work includes:
	an academic study (to which the Department contributed a small amount of funding during its initial stage), which involves the academics responsible for the 'Support from the Start' report. These academics are collaborating with a leading academic/practitioner in the field, Dr. Leena Augimeri, to produce risk assessment tools for use by practitioners working with children and young people. This will refine and build on much of the knowledge/guidance derived from the two reports (Sutton  et al, McCarthy  et al) described above;
	two further studies currently being conducted which may be of interest. These are evaluations of preventative programmes (part of the Children's Fund) designed to offset/reduce the likelihood of young people's involvement in crime/ASB by addressing the risk factors associated with these behaviours: the national evaluation of 'On Track, Phase Two', being carried out by the Policy Research Bureau (final, synthetic report due to be published in June 2007); and the evaluation of the 'Youth Inclusion Support Panel' (YISP) pilot being conducted by the University of Newcastle (final report due May 2007).
	Copies of the two published reports can be found on the DfES website:
	www.dfes.gov.uk

Darlington College of Art

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding is planned to be made available to Darlington College of Art  (a) if it remains in Darlington and  (b) if it moves to Plymouth, Torbay or Falmouth; whether the college would be eligible for Objective One funding if it moved to Falmouth; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 2 February 2007
	The statutory responsibility for funding individual higher education institutions in England rests with the Higher Education Funding Council for England which uses funding formulae which take no account of the locations mentioned in this Question. The college currently receives core funding through recurrent grant of over £4.1 million a year. On Objective One funding, it is unlikely that any substantive Darlington college project could be funded from the current Objective One programme as this funding is close to being already fully allocated. New EU structural fund programmes are still under development and so it is too early to say whether any project that comes forward would be able to access funding from these future programmes.

Departmental Statistics

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which statistics have been put forward by his Department for consideration to become new national statistics in each of the last five years; and how many statistics sets his Department has produced in total in each of the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The current list of National Statistics produced by the Department for Education and Skills can be found on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/ns_ons/nsproducts/default.asp
	A list of changes to the scope of National Statistics (additions and withdrawals) in each of the last five years can be found in the relevant National Statistics annual report available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=1051
	In addition to National Statistics, the Department for Education and Skills publishes a wide range of other numerical information in a variety of forms including other data produced from the management and administration of the Department and in research reports. There is no consistent definition of the term "statistics sets" and no centrally held information on the total published in each year on this basis.

Education Funding

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was allocated by central Government for education in Gravesham's local authority area in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the level of central Government grant was to local government for education in Tunbridge Wells local authority area in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: holding answer 24 January 2007
	The Gravesham and Tunbridge Wells constituencies fall within the local authority area of Kent and the information supplied is the level of funding which applies to all of Kent. In 2006-07 Kent local authority received a Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) allocation of £718.2 million and revenue grants of £177.4 million—a total of £895.6 million to fund the education of nursery, primary and secondary school aged pupils.
	The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) took responsibility for funding of school sixth forms in April 2002. In 2006/07, the total funding allocation for schools sixth forms in Kent local authority was £79 million.
	The LSC is responsible for funding post-16 education and training more widely and so in addition to the funding for school sixth forms the LSC also funds colleges and other providers to deliver further education and training to young people and adults in the Kent local authority area. This can include funding the local authority itself where they are offering FE provision in line with Government priorities. The Department does not hold information on individual providers1 funding allocations, however funding allocations for 2005/06 can be found at the following link
	http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/2005/funding/streams/fe-2005-06-allocations-at-26-july.xls
	A hard copy of this document will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Darlington

Alan Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many young people in Darlington received an educational maintenance allowance in each year since the introduction of the allowance.

Phil Hope: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council, who operate education maintenance allowances for the DfES and hold the information about take-up of the scheme. Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, has written to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.
	 Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 8 February 2007:
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question that asked; "How many young people in Darlington have received an educational maintenance allowance in each year since the introduction of the allowance."
	The following table shows education maintenance allowance (EMA) take-up for Darlington local authority area during each academic year since the introduction of the allowance. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2004/05 494 
			 2005/06 965 
			 2006/07 to end January 1174 
		
	
	I hope you find this information useful.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Hendon

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students in Hendon receive education maintenance allowance; and what assessment he has made of the education maintenance allowance has had on school staying on rates in Hendon.

Phil Hope: Information on the number of young people who have applied, enrolled and received Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available at local authority level, but not at constituency level. By the end of December 2006, 2,483 young people in Barnet local authority had applied, enrolled and received one or more EMA payment during the academic year 2006-07.
	The impact of EMA on participation in full time education by 16 to18-year-olds is not available by constituency. Recent national participation figures(1) show an increase of 4.5 percentage points over the past two years for 16-year-olds in full-time education. While it is not possible to say that all of the increase was due to EMA, this was one of the most important initiatives aimed at increasing participation.
	(1 )SFR (June 2006), Participation in Education. Training & Employment by 16-18 Year Olds in England 2004 and 2005 DfES, SFR 21/2006
	EMA has been particularly effective in engaging some of our most vulnerable young people such as teenage parents and those who for no fault of their own are estranged from their families. EMA has its biggest impact where it is most needed—among those from less well off households, those from an ethnic minority background and among boys, closing the gender gap.

Education: Barnet

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding was made available to Barnet College in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: I can confirm the funding allocations that Barnet College received from the Learning and Skills Council in each year from 2002-03 to 2006-07 are as listed in the following tables. For 2006-07 Barnet College is also a member of two successful consortia which tendered for Train to Gain, our new national programme of workplace training for adults. The additional funding Barnet College will receive from these contracts is currently under negotiation. The total value of the Train to Gain contracts in which Barnet College has a stake are, for the consortium led by Four Counties Training £850,348, and for the consortium led by the College of North East London £284,148.
	
		
			  Barnet College — Funding received from Learning and Skills Council 2002/03 to 2006/07 
			   2002/03 actual funding (£)  2003/04 actual funding (£)  Difference in funding 2003/04 from 2002/03 (£)  2004/05 actual funding (£)  Difference in funding 2004/05 from 2003/04 (£) 
			 Further education 21,328,022 24,514,000 +3,185,978 26,321,000 +1,807,000 
			(+14.9%)  (+7.3%) 
			   
			 Adult and community learning n/a n/a n/a 555,936 n/a 
			   
			 Work based learning n/a n/a n/a 200,219 n/a 
			   
			 Total 21,328,022 24,514,000 +3,185,978 27,077,155 +2,563,155 
			(+14.9%)  (+10.5%) 
		
	
	
		
			   2005/06 actual funding (£)  Difference in funding 2005/06 from 2004/05 (£)  2006/07 planned funding (£)  Difference in funding 2006/07 from 2005/06 (£) 
			 Further education 27,492,523 +1,171,523 27,851,234 +88,711 
			   (+4.5%)  (+0.3%) 
			  
			 Adult and community learning 532,883 -23,053 527,980 -4,903 
			   (-4.1%)  (-0.9%) 
			  
			 Work based learning 193,924 -6,295 (1)50,472 -143,452 
			   (-3.1%)  (-74%) 
			  
			 Total 28,219,.330 1,142,175 28,429,686 +210,356 
			   (+4.2%)  (+0.7%) 
			 (1) After a review the College has decided to stop offering work based learning provision. It has only 21 students enrolled for 2006/07 all of whom are completing their course.

Electronic Learning Credits

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what restrictions there are on the spending of Electronic Learning Credits awarded to schools.

Jim Knight: The DfES provides schools with detailed guidance on the use of eLearning Credits (eLCs), including details of restrictions on the use of this funding.
	This guidance is highlighted as part of the general funding circular to schools and is displayed on the Curriculum Online website:
	http://www.curriculumonline.gov.uk/Helpdesk/Helpdesk+page.htm#tobuy
	The information is available in the House of Commons Library.

Emissions Reduction and Recycling

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what Government funding is available to help schools take part in  (a) energy saving schemes to reduce their carbon footprint and  (b) initiatives to increase the amount of waste they recycle.

Jim Knight: In November 2006, local authorities were offered to advance capital funding totalling £375 million, and are encouraged to invest this funding in measures to improve sustainability, with a strong focus on energy and water efficiency. Further funding for specific measures are available from numerous other sources, including joint DfES/DfT investment in sustainable school travel, and grant funding for renewable energy within the DTI's low carbon buildings programme.

Ethnicity: Schools

Stephen Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of pupils at each secondary school in each local education authority in  (a) London,  (b) Birmingham,  (c) Leicester,  (d) Derby,  (e) Nottingham,  (f) Bradford,  (g) Slough,  (h) Bolton,  (i) Rochdale,  (j) Luton,  (k) Bristol and  (l) Blackburn and Darwen are (i) white British, (ii) black Caribbean, (iii) black African, (iv) Indian, (v) Pakistani and (vi) Bangladeshi.

Jim Knight: holding answer 30 January 2007
	The information requested has been placed in the House Library.

Families: Kent

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  if he will take steps to ensure that the children's family centres in the most deprived areas in Kent receive proportionally more funding from 2008 onwards;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the annual running costs of each children's family centre in Kent from April 2008.

Beverley Hughes: Our guidance for local authorities on planning and delivering Sure Start Children's Centres makes it clear that the most intensive support should be available for the most disadvantaged families. For the period 2006-08 we allocated funding to local authorities based on numbers of children under five and levels of deprivation. Local authorities have responsibility for allocating that funding to children's centres in their area; securing value for money; and ensuring the overall quality of services in children's centres. We have appointed the "Together for Children" consortium who will support and challenge local authorities to plan a suitable range of services at each centre. The Government are undertaking a comprehensive spending review and decisions on funding for Sure Start Children's Centres beyond March 2008 will be taken in that context.

Further Education Funding

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total funding has been for further education colleges from his Department in each of the last 10 years; and what percentage of total departmental expenditure each figure represents.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 2 February 2007
	We have increased funding for further education providers by 48 per cent. in real terms between 1997-98 and 2005-06. The following table shows the total spend on FE providers, including colleges, between 1997-98 and 2005-06 and the proportion this represents of the total departmental expenditure including local government formula education spending. Figures for the current 2006-07 academic year will not be available until later in the year.
	
		
			  FE spend as a proportion of departmental spend 
			   Total FE spend (£ million)  FE spend as a proportion of total departmental spend (Percentage) 
			 1997-98 3,131 9 
			 1998-99 3,101 9 
			 1999-2000 3,300 9 
			 2000-01 3,471 9 
			 2001-02 (1)4,102 9 
			 2002-03 4,400 9 
			 2003-04 4,788 9 
			 2004-05 5,081 9 
			 2005-06 (2)5,590 9 
			 (1 )There was a significant increase in funding allocated to colleges in 2001-02 (the year in which the LSC was created) compared to 2000-01. This was due to a combination of factors: an increase in full-time equivalent learner volumes compared to previous years, a small increase in non-participation funds allocated to colleges, and a larger increase in capital investment in colleges.  (2) Based on estimated outturn.   Source:  FE expenditure figures from 2001-02 are taken from Table 8.6 of the 2006 Departmental Report. Departmental expenditure figures are taken from Table 8.1 of the 2006 Departmental Report.

Further Education: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) young people and  (b) adults participated in further education in Coventry in each year since 1992.

Bill Rammell: Figures for those participating in further education (FE) funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) can be derived from the Individualised Learner Record (ILR). The FE ILR was collated for the first time in 2002/03 and figures are given from that time. The following table shows the total number of learners aged under 19, and 19 and over in FE in Coventry local authority since 2002/03 based on home post code of the learner. Earlier, consistent figures are not available at a local level.
	
		
			   Under 19  19 and over  Total 
			 2002/03 3,652 24,183 27,835 
			 2003/04 3,550 24,487 28,037 
			 2004/05 3,797 24,923 28,720 
			 2005/06 4.036 22,216 26,252

Further Education: Darlington

Alan Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) young people and  (b) adults participated in further education in Darlington in each year since 1992.

Bill Rammell: Figures for those participating in further education (FE) funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) can be derived from the Individualised Learner Record (ILR). The FE ILR was collated for the first time in 2002-03 and figures are given from that time. The following table shows the total number of learners aged under 19, and 19 and over in FE in Darlington local authority since 2002-03 based on home post code of the learner. Earlier, consistent figures are not available at a local level.
	
		
			   Young people  Adults  Total 
			 2002-03 1,780 7,250 9,030 
			 2003-04 1,920 7,410 9,340 
			 2004-05 1,960 8,160 10,110 
			 2005-06 2,000 5,500 7,500 
			  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

Further Education: Residential Specialist

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many residential specialist further education colleges for individuals with disabilities  (a) opened and  (b) closed in each year since 1997.

Bill Rammell: There have been no establishments meeting the above criteria opened or closed since 1997.

Further Education: Residential Specialist

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many residential specialist further education colleges for individuals with disabilities are funded by the Learning and Skills Council.

Bill Rammell: We are committed to ensuring that all learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities have access to suitable provision. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has a duty to provide for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities which can include, where appropriate, the provision of boarding accommodation.
	The LSC currently funds 65 specialist colleges to provide residential accommodation for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. LSC investment in this provision has increased significantly in recent years. In 2001-02 the LSC spent £65 million on this provision and this increased to £126 million in 2004-05. Investment in this provision is set to continue to rise to £181 million by 2007-08.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils in England were entered for at least one GCSE in 2006; and how many and what percentage of those were entered for GCSE History.

Jim Knight: holding answer 6 February 2007
	628,700 pupils in England at the end of Key Stage 4 were entered for at least one GCSE in 2006; and, of these 208,100 (33.1 per cent.) were entered for GCSE History(1, 2, 3)
	(1) One attempt only is counted—that which achieved the highest grade.
	(2 )Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in the 2005/06 academic year.
	(3) Includes attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Standards

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of children received five A* to C GCSE grades in each year since 1996, not including  (a) GNVQs and  (b) other qualifications previously included as equivalent to GCSEs.

Jim Knight: holding answer 6 February 2007
	The following table shows the number and percentage of 15-year-old pupils(1) who obtained five or more grades A*-C at GCSE only(2) and GCSE and equivalent(3) (excluding GNVQs).
	(1) Pupils aged 15 at the beginning of the academic year i.e. 31 August.
	(2) Includes full GCSEs and GCSE short courses.
	(3) These other qualifications are not the same as GCSEs. Not all approved qualifications are exactly the same, but they can be measured and accredited on a common scale, which gives point scores according to their different challenges and different breadth. The value of a qualification will depend entirely on the young person's needs and aspirations and the context for their learning.
	
		
			   GCSE only( 1)  Excluding GNVQ  GCSE and all equivalents 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Percentage 
			 1996 264,498 44.5 — — 44.5 
			 1997 264,288 45.0 — — 45.1 
			 1998 265,358 46.1 — — 46.3 
			 1999 276,884 47.7 — — 47.9 
			 2000 283,430 48.8 — — 49.2 
			 2001 298,041 49.4 — — 50.0 
			 2002 304,403 50.2 — — 51.6 
			 2003 310,814 50.0 — — 52.9 
			 2004 328,197 51.0 329,879 51.3 53.7 
			 2005 331,185 52.0 336,630 52.8 56.3 
			 2006 340,357 52.4 353,674 54.5 58.5 
			 (1) Includes full GCSEs and GCSE short courses. 
		
	
	Since 2004 the secondary (key stage 4) tables have reported results of GCSEs and equivalences. Equivalences are the full range of qualifications approved for use under section 96 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000. Prior to 2004, GNVQs were the only equivalent qualifications that were reported.

Health Education: Drugs

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent on drugs and alcohol education in schools in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much his Department spent on commissioning Drugscope to produce its guidance on drugs and alcohol education.

Parmjit Dhanda: Since April 2004, it has been for schools and local authorities to decide on the level of funding to support drug and alcohol education in schools taking account of local priorities. In the two financial years prior to April 2004, total Department funding allocated to local education authorities to support drug and alcohol education and prevention in all schools in England was as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2002-03 15.2 
			 2003-04 14.3 
		
	
	Total funding for Drugscope in relation to the production of "Drugs: Guidance for Schools" (DfES, 2004) was £24,000.

Higher Education: Admissions

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many applicants applied to  (a) Oxford,  (b) Cambridge and  (c) another Russell Group University, broken down by secondary school in 2005-06.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 5 February 2007
	The available information is shown in the table. The figures relate to applicants to full-time undergraduate courses from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). My Department does not hold information on the secondary school attended by these applicants.
	
		
			  UK domiciled applicants to full-time undergraduate courses at UK higher education institutions academic year 2005/06 
			   Number of applications( 1)  Number of acceptances( 2) 
			 Oxford University 10,426 2,850 
			 University of Cambridge 11,072 2,871 
			 Other Russell Group institutions 483,004 63,847 
			 (1) Students are counted up to six times because they can make up to 6 applications (4 in the case of medicine and dentistry) (2) Students are counted once as accepted applicants.  Source: Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)

Industrial Training: Trade Competitiveness

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to develop skills to make the economy of the UK more competitive; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The Government's Skills Strategy was set out in the 2005 White Paper "Skills: Getting on in business, getting on at work" and the 2006 White Paper "Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances". It is designed to reform the supply of skills; to ensure we deliver economically valuable qualifications and skills which will enhance the UK's productivity and to raise demand for skills from employers and individuals. We have made good progress towards our skills PSA targets. Since the end of 2001, over 1.4 million learners have achieved first "Skills for Life" qualifications and there are 1.6 million more adults in the work force with level 2 or higher qualifications. The number of apprenticeships has risen from 76,000 in 1997 to 256,000 in 2006. Lord Leitch's final report "Prosperity for all in the global economy—world class skills" (December 2006) gave a clear analysis of the future skills needs of the UK. We have welcomed the report's ambitions and recommendations, and will publish an implementation plan to take forward this agenda in the context of the comprehensive spending review settlement.

London Academy

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the academic results of the London Academy, Edgware, since it became a city academy; what the total  (a) Government and  (b) private sector expenditure has been on the Academy; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Ofsted reported last year, following its inspection, that the London Academy has transformed the life chances of children and young people from some of the most socially deprived wards in the country. About 50 per cent. of pupils are entitled to free school meals, well over one-third have a language other than English and a similar percentage have a special educational need, yet the achievement of pupils by the end of each key stage places this academy in the top 5 per cent. of schools nationally. Using the Department's new value-added measure, in 2006 London Academy students made much better than average progress between the ages of 11 to 16.
	In terms of expenditure to date on this academy:
	 (a) £29,758,939 has been spent by the Government on the construction of the new academy building, and the final cost is currently being negotiated with the contractor. £18,756,688 has been spent on the academy's running costs. This covers the financial years between 2001-02 and 2006-07 inclusive. Academy funding is directly comparable with that of local authority schools of the same size in the same areas.
	 (b) £1,490,050 has been spent by the academy sponsor, Peter Shalson, on the construction of the new building. The remaining £9,950 of agreed sponsorship will be paid before the final account is settled.

Looked-after Children

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2007,  Official Report, column 218-9W, on looked-after children, if he will commission research to identify how many crisis or emergency accommodation places  (a) in (i) family-based and (ii) care homes and  (b) with other providers there are in England.

Parmjit Dhanda: We have no plans at present to commission any new research. We are already considering the issue of refuge and emergency accommodation through other work with The Children's Society, Barnardo's, and London Refuge and we will consider the need for further research after reviewing the outcome of that work.

Nurseries: Barnet

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what additional funds have been made available to Barnet Local Education Authority to extend free part-time nursery education to 38 weeks a year; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: In 2006-07 Barnet received £569,000 as part of its Dedicated Schools Grants (DSG) to support the costs of increasing the early years free education offer from 33 to 38 weeks. Nationally £82.235 million was allocated to support the extension of this free entitlement.

Playing for Success Initiative

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on recent developments in the uptake and sectoral extension of the Playing for Success initiative.

Jim Knight: 154 sports' clubs and venues are now signed up to "Playing for Success (PfS)". 108 centres are fully operational and we are on track to exceed our target of 150 centres open by 2008. Starting just under 10 years ago in three premiership football clubs, 15 sports are now represented, including cricket, rugby, water-sports and basketball. The most recent extension, in 2005, brought in 50 new "PfS" centres, covering nine new sports across 12 local authorities and included Cheltenham Racecourse, Sale Harriers Athletics and the Silverstone Motor Racing circuit. There will also be a centre at the new Wembley Stadium.
	Four successive evaluation studies, undertaken by the National Foundation for Educational Research, found significant improvements in literacy, numeracy, ICT skills and motivation to learn among pupils attending centres. Over 180,000 students have benefited from "PfS" since it began, and a further 60,000 students are expected to benefit each year once all centres are open.
	I will place a full list of the 154 centres and their sports into the House Library.

Pre School Education: Hendon

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what progress is being made in Hendon in establishing Sure Start and Children's Centres; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what expenditure his Department has made on Sure Start and Children's Centres in Hendon; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Both of Barnet council's designated Sure Start children's centres are located in the Hendon constituency—Parkfield Community School and children's centre, and Wingfield. These centres are offering a full range of services including health and family support, full day care integrated with early learning and links with Job Centre Plus. Barnet council is planning to open a further four children's centres in the Hendon constituency by March 2008 as part of phase 2 of the programme.
	Barnet council has spent a total of £1.15 million in Sure Start capital funding to date to develop Parkfield and Wingfield children's centres. Between 2003 and 2007 a total of £2.57 million in revenue funding has been allocated to Sure Start developments in the Hendon constituency, the majority of which has funded the Underhill and West Hendon Sure Start Local Programme which has now evolved into Parkfield Community School and children's centre.
	In addition, Barnet council has been allocated a total of £11.64 million in revenue and £6.61 million in capital between April 2005 and March 2008 through the General Sure Start Grant to support the delivery of our 10 year strategy for child care. Barnet council has the flexibility to decide how much of this funding is allocated to the 15 children's centre projects it is planning to develop before March 2008.

Religious Education

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills at what age children are expected to understand the basic tenets of religion.

Jim Knight: There is no commonly-understood definition in Religious Education (RE) of what the "basic tenets of religion" means. RE syllabi for non-denominational schools are set at local authority level by Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education (SACREs) so each local authority has an individual and distinct RE syllabus. Denominational schools set their own RE syllabus in accordance with the trust deed of the school. In order to bring consistency and an agreed set of standards to RE syllabi, the Secretary of State launched the non-statutory National Framework for Religious Education in 2004. The Framework was agreed by all the major religious communities and professional RE associations. The standards set out in the Framework are currently informing the reviews of local agreed syllabuses around the country and the shaping of RE programmes in faith schools. It also contained level descriptions for attainment targets against which pupil knowledge, skills and understanding can be assessed. The Framework, including the level descriptions for attainment targets, can be found in the Library and on the RE section of the National Curriculum online website www.nc.uk.net.

School Meals: Concessions

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will rank English local education authorities' by the percentage of children entitled to receive free school meals.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Schools Absence Strategy

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1486W, on schools, how many of the 370 targeted schools reached their absence targets for the year in which they were being assessed; and what the average ultimate reduction percentage in absenteeism of these targets was in the relevant period.

Jim Knight: Of the 370 secondary schools identified as having high levels of absence, 158 met their 2005/06 targets as agreed with their local authorities in April 2005.
	The overall absence rate for the 370 schools, as a group, was 10.27 per cent. in 2004/05, and fell to 9.80 per cent. in 2005/06.

Schools: Cricket

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many state schools in England and Wales have an established relationship with a cricket club.

Jim Knight: As part of the National School Sport Strategy, the annual school sport survey collects data relating to provision and take up of PE and school sport from schools in School Sport Partnerships. The 2005/06 survey found that 52 per cent. of schools in England have a formal link with an accredited cricket club. Data is not collected from schools in Wales. Copies of the results of the survey is available in the House Libraries.

Schools: Hendon

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools in Hendon provide fruit to their pupils each day.

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
	There are seven schools and 1,300 pupils participating in the school fruit and vegetable scheme in Hendon.

Schools: Hendon

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the baseline Dedicated Schools Grant is for schools in Hendon; what the most recent figure is; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Mainstream school funding is provided through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) which set local authorities allocations for 2006-07 and 2007-08: it is up to local authorities—in consultation with their School Forums—to distribute the DSG to the schools they maintain.
	The allocations for 2007-08 will depend on pupil numbers in schools in January 2007 and the guaranteed unit of funding per pupil set in December 2005. Barnet's DSG allocation for 2006-07 is £173.792 million or £4,081 per pupil (a 6.6 per cent. increase per pupil). Barnet's guaranteed unit of funding for 2007-08 is £4,344 (a 6.4 per cent. increase per pupil).
	The guaranteed unit of funding per pupil was set in December 2005 to provide authorities with predictability and stability over a multi year period; local authorities were fully consulted as part of this process. I am therefore not planning discussions with individual local authorities on their DSG allocations for 2007-08.

Schools: Hendon

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of 14-year-olds in Hendon reached the required standard in English and mathematics in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Hendon 
			   Percentage of pupils achieving level 5 or above at key stage 3 
			  English  
			 1997 69 
			 2005 84 
			 2006 — 
			   
			  Maths  
			 1997 65 
			 2005 81 
			 2006 — 
		
	
	Figures for Hendon for English and mathematics in 2006 are currently unavailable at parliamentary constituency level. When these figures are available they can be found on the DfES statistics website.

Secondary Education: Castle Point

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) applications there were for and  (b) places there were at each secondary school in Castle Point in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: Information on the number of applications made for secondary school places is not collected centrally. The number of places available in each secondary school in Castle Point in each of the last three years is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Secondary schools 
			   Number of pupil places 
			  School name  2004  2005  2006 
			 Castle View School 900 904 904 
			 Furtherwick Park School 1,124 1,124 1,124 
			 The Appleton School 1,200 1,200 1,200 
			 The Cornelius Vermuyden School and Arts College 900 900 900 
			 The Deanes School 1,053 1,053 1,120 
			 The King John School 1,816 1,844 1,850 
			 Total 6,993 7,025 7,098

Secondary Education: Standards

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking to raise standards in secondary schools.

Jim Knight: The "Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners: Maintaining the Excellent Progress" includes an overview of the key activities we are undertaking to raise standards in Secondary Schools, and the 2005 Schools White Paper—"Higher Standards, Better Schools for All"—sets out our vision for raising standards in Schools. I would also refer you to the annual departmental report. Some key facts are summarised as follows:
	In 2006, 85,000 more pupils obtained five or more GCSEs at A*-C than in 1997.
	Spending per pupil since 1997 has doubled, and there are now 36,000 more teachers and 150,000 more support staff.
	Since 1997, there has been a 15 percentage point increase in the number of 14-year-old pupils achieving level 5 or above in English, a 17 percentage point increase in mathematics and a 12 percentage point increase in science at Key Stage 3.
	Through the Building Schools for the Future programme we are investing £17.5 billion in schools capital between 2005-08, enabling most secondary schools to be refurbished or rebuilt.
	More than 2,600 secondary schools—85 per cent. of the total—have specialist school status and we are on track to achieve the target of every school achieving specialist status by next year. 70 schools are already working towards trust school status, enabling them to work with external partners to create a distinctive ethos and direction for their school, and we have over 100 academies open or in the pipeline in some of the most challenging parts of the country.
	There is more work still to do. In recent years, the number of children eligible for free school meals achieving five good GCSEs has improved faster than the national average, but we need to do more to tackle some of the gaps between economically disadvantaged pupils and their peers, and between boys and girls.
	The Government are investing over £1 billion between 2005-08 in personalised learning and extended services—including £621 million for secondary schools to help them tailor their teaching and learning to the needs of their pupils, including those who need support to help them catch up and those who have a particular gift or talent.
	The Secondary National Strategy for School Improvement is at the heart of our work to transform secondary education and spreads effective teaching and learning to all schools through training and materials, a comprehensive development programme for teachers, and support from local consultants who are experts in their field.
	The Key Stage 3 Behaviour and Attendance training programme for all secondary school staff involves training materials and resources to ensure consistent and effective policy and practice on behaviour and attendance and offers expert consultancy support to schools across the curriculum.

Sector Skills Councils

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will introduce a common reporting framework for sector skills councils to include  (a) financial information,  (b) governance and key management personnel and  (c) business involvement.

Phil Hope: The Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) is responsible for reporting to Ministers on all aspects of sector skills councils (SSC) performance.
	The SSDA, in consultation with SSCs, has developed the SSC standard against which individual SSCs are assessed. This includes finance, governance and key management and personnel arrangements. The SSC standard forms part of the overall SSC Performance Management Framework, and engaging with employers in their sector is a key requirement of all SSCs.
	In his recent report 'Prosperity for all in the global economy—world class skills' (December 2006) Lord Leitch provided a clear analysis of the future skills needs of the UK and made a series of proposals for change. These would include the reform and re-licensing of sector skills councils. We have welcomed the report and will consider, together with stakeholders and in the context of the Comprehensive Spending Review, how to take forward the challenging agenda it sets.

Special Educational Needs

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will rank education authorities in  (a) London and  (b) England by the (i) number and (ii) percentage of pupils with special educational needs but without statements; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The requested information has been placed in the Library.

Students: North East Region

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of children leaving full-time education in  (a) Gateshead East and Washington West and  (b) Tyne and Wear went on to a place at university in 2006.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is shown in the table. Information for 2006/07 will be available from January 2008.
	
		
			  Entrants( 1)  to undergraduate courses at all UK higher education institutions for the  academic year 2005/06 
			  Domicile of student  Number 
			 Gateshead East and Washington West Parliamentary Constituency 835 
			 Tyne and Wear 12,990 
			 (1 )Covers all entrants to undergraduate courses from schools, further education colleges and other types of education institutions.  Note:  Figures are on a HESA Standard Registration Population basis and are rounded to the nearest 5.  Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Students: Wales

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students from  (a) Wrexham and  (b) Wales attended universities in England as undergraduates in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Entrants to undergraduate courses at all English higher education institutions for the academic years 2001/02 to 2005/06 
			  cademic year  Number of entrants from Wales  Of which:  Wrexham parliamentary constituency 
			 2001/02 9,970 280 
			 2002/03 9,785 265 
			 2003/04 10,230 290 
			 2004/05 9,690 285 
			 2005/06 10,645 315 
			  Note:  Figures are on a HESA Standard Registration Population basis and are rounded to the nearest 5.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Teachers' TV

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1488W, on consultants, what the total cost was of hiring the consultants to whom he refers; and what the estimated number of regular viewers of Teachers TV was in 2006.

Jim Knight: Teachers' TV aims to help raise standards in classrooms by helping to share good practice, support continuing professional development, offer classroom resources, and provide education news and information. The channel's target audience includes teachers, school leaders, teaching assistants and school governors.
	Two individual consultants were used by Teachers' TV on specialist projects during 2006. They provided a total of 35 days' input to the channel at a cost of £12,250.
	Viewing to the channel among the schools work force is measured by an independent market research company, Ipsos MORI. The results of their study for the school year which ended on 31 July 2006 shows that Teachers' TV was viewed by an average of 94,000 members of the schools work force each month.

Unauthorised Absences

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many unauthorised absences were recorded at  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in each local education authority in each year from 1997 to 2006.

Jim Knight: A table containing the figures requested has been placed in the House Library.
	Unauthorised absence is absence without leave from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes all unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term time not authorised by the school, absence where reason is not yet established and truancy.

Unauthorised Absences

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many unauthorised absences from schools in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex there were in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The percentage of half days missed due to unauthorised absence in Eastbourne parliamentary constituency and East Sussex local authority in each year since 1997 are shown as follows.
	
		
			  Percentage of half days missed in maintained primary schools( 1)  due to unauthorised absence( 2,3) 
			   Eastbourne  East Sussex  England 
			 1997/98 0.5 0.4 0.50 
			 1998/99 0.6 0.4 0.49 
			 1999/2000 0.5 0.4 0.47 
			 2000/01 0.6 0.5 0.49 
			 2001/02 0.6 0.37 0.45 
			 2002/03 0.6 0.41 0.43 
			 2003/04 0.8 0.53 0.41 
			 2004/05 0.8 0.77 0.43 
			 2005/06 0.7 0.72 0.46 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of half days missed in maintained secondary schools( 1)  due to unauthorised absence( 2,3) 
			   Eastbourne  East Sussex  England 
			 1997/98 0.8 1.3 1.10 
			 1998/99 0.9 1.1 1.07 
			 1999/2000 1.1 1.2 1.04 
			 2000/01 1.2 1.2 1.07 
			 2001/02 1.2 1.41 1.09 
			 2002/03 2.0 1.35 1.07 
			 2003/04 2.2 1.41 1.13 
			 2004/05 1.7 1.34 1.23 
			 2005/06 1.6 1.38 1.20 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Due to local government reorganisation, regional figures are not available prior to 1998. (3) Figures for Eastbourne are available to one decimal place. Figures for East Sussex local authority are available to one decimal place prior to 2001/02 and two decimal places from 2001/02 onwards. 
		
	
	Unauthorised absence is absence without leave from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes all unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term time not authorised by the school, absence where reason is not yet established and truancy.

Unauthorised Absences

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many unauthorised absences from schools in  (a) Chorley and  (b) Lancashire there were in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The percentage of half days missed due to unauthorised absence in Chorley parliamentary constituency and Lancashire local authority in each year since 1997 are shown as follows.
	
		
			  Percentage of half days missed in maintained primary schools( 1)  due to unauthorised absence( 2,3) 
			   Chorley  Lancashire  England 
			 1997/98 0.2 0.3 0.50 
			 1998/99 0.2 0.4 0.49 
			 1999/2000 0.2 0.4 0.47 
			 2000/01 0.2 0.3 0.49 
			 2001/02 0.3 0.34 0.45 
			 2002/03 0.2 0.31 0.43 
			 2003/04 0.2 0.32 0.41 
			 2004/05 0.2 0.34 0.43 
			 2005/06 0.3 0.35 0.45 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of half days missed in maintained secondary schools( 1)  due to unauthorised absence( 2,3) 
			   Chorley  Lancashire  England 
			 1997/98 0.5 0.8 1.10 
			 1998/99 0.6 0.9 1.07 
			 1999/2000 0.5 0.8 1.04 
			 2000/01 0.6 0.8 1.07 
			 2001/02 0.5 0.82 1.09 
			 2002/03 0.5 0.82 1.07 
			 2003/04 0.5 0.88 1.13 
			 2004/05 0.5 0.93 1.23 
			 2005/06 0.6 0.94 1.20 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Due to local government reorganisation, regional figures are not available prior to 1998. (3) Figures for Chorley are available to one decimal place. Figures for Lancashire local authority are available to one decimal place prior to 2001/02 and two decimal places from 2001/02 onwards. 
		
	
	Unauthorised absence is absence without leave from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes all unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term time not authorised by the school, absence where reason is not yet established and truancy.

Vocational Training

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps are being taken to involve further education colleges in providing vocational skills to secondary school pupils.

Phil Hope: The Increased Flexibility programme has created approximately 290 partnerships of further education (FE) colleges, schools and other agents that provide enhanced vocational and work-related learning opportunities for local 14 to 16-years-olds. FE colleges also play a key role in the delivery of the Young Apprenticeship programme, enabling 14 to 16-year-olds to pursue industry-specific vocational programmes and qualifications outside school. FE colleges will be delivering diplomas, most often as part of consortia involving schools and employers, from September 2008. Colleges have been recognised as key stakeholders and are represented as members of the Diploma Development Partnerships.

Wireless Networking

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what consultations he has undertaken on the use of wireless networking in west Lancashire schools; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) on 23 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 1665-66W.

Youth Opportunities Card: Sunderland

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps are being taken towards implementing youth opportunity cards in Sunderland; and when their launch is expected.

Beverley Hughes: Sunderland is one of 10 local authorities who have volunteered and been accepted for piloting the Youth Opportunity Card. The pilot authorities are making an invaluable contribution to the detailed design of the delivery arrangements for the Card. In particular they have each seconded a member of staff to work part-time with the Youth Opportunity Card Team in my Department. A project of this nature is complex as well as ambitious and it is important that we get it right. There are important aspects to the project that we are still working through. I expect to be in a position shortly to make an announcement.